


Fairy Archive

by Kyogre



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Drabble Collection, F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-01
Updated: 2017-07-19
Packaged: 2018-07-11 16:36:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 36,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7060612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kyogre/pseuds/Kyogre
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Collection of oneshots for Fairy Tail, mostly from tumblr. </p><p>1. Gratsu, dragon mating season humor<br/>2. GrayTear prompt, chance meeting<br/>3. Gratsu fluff week 2016, Day 4 Scarf<br/>4. Ultear, ch 476 extra scene<br/>5. Lucana week 2016, oneshot<br/>6. Gray and Lyon, post-Tartaros<br/>7. Time travel during Eclipse (ice family gen)<br/>8. Gray and Juvia, ch 499 humor omake<br/>9. Femslash exchange 2016, Erlu Izetta AU<br/>10. Graylu exchange 2016, princess and peasant<br/>11. GrayTear week 2017, Day 2: the Future<br/>12. GrayTear week 2017, Day 7: Ice<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Gratsu, dragon mating season humor

——

Although Lucy called it the seven year gap, they were within Fairy Sphere for something closer to six years and a couple of months – swallowed up in December X784, spit back out February X791… which sounded like something off a messed up gravestone. Hell, some of them got actual tombstones. 

They still called it seven years to keep the year number straight. Or maybe because the number seven seemed to turn up a lot in their lives. Or maybe because Lucy was a writer, not an accountant, and math wasn’t her strong suit. Or…

Well, the point was that everyone’s sense of time was completely messed up as a result. So even Gajeel didn’t notice something was off until well into March. It finally, belatedly kicked in during the whole mess with the crazy clock and the crazy church militants and, more importantly, going on a mission with Levy – the mating urge, that is. 

It had happened every spring for the last few years. Gajeel would just… start getting horny. Really, really horny, until finding someone to sate himself with was all he could think about. Except that just “someone” would never do. Even when he caved and tried to take the edge off with a partner, all he ended up with was a feeling of dissatisfaction and discomfort, like trying to wear clothes that just didn’t fit. Except on his dick. 

He didn’t need just “someone” – he needed the right person, it seemed. Spring was always a miserable time for Gajeel. 

This year (six/seven years down the line) was a bit different. This year, Gajeel was horny… for Levy. Had the shorty always smelled so good? Had her miniskirt always been so tantalizing? Gajeel knew he’d been interested in her for a while, but the degree to which all his sense were suddenly completely trained on her was… unsettling. Unnatural. 

It probably wasn’t natural, not for humans. In general, something like a full three quarters of all the weirdness in Gajeel’s life could be laid directly at Metalicana’s claws. And mating season of horniness? That sounded like a dragon issue. 

This year was different in another way too – he wasn’t the only Dragon Slayer around anymore. Wendy was too young, and who even knew if second generation Dragon Slayers like Laxus would be affected, but there was Salamander. Gajeel dithered about the best way to ask him, “have you been feeling like humping anything that moves or maybe someone in particular lately?” for a while, up until Gray lost his shirt in the middle of the guild hall yet again and revealed that he was completely covered in some very explicit, definitely not combat-related marks. While half the guild catcalled and jeered, Natsu preened and puffed up proudly about this indecent display, leaving little doubt that it was entirely his fault. 

Yeah, the mating season thing was definitely getting him too. 

(By the way, the answer was yes, second generation Dragon Slayers were affected. Meeting Cubellios – Kinana – in the spring, in that form, was pure hell for Cobra, and he spent a lot of time once back in his cell cursing everything, and remembering her sweet, delicate scent.) 

Natsu was not helpful. As usual. 

“Huh? Mating season? I dunno what you’re talking about. Igneel never said anything about it,” he said with the usual stupid look on his face. “But yeah, I guess Gray’s been complaining about how much we’ve been doing it lately (I told him he could take it easy if he couldn’t keep up, and then we went two extra rounds)… and my nose has been really sensitive about him (he smells annoyed all the time, dunno why)… and I punched Laxus when they bumped into each other that one time (but I punch Laxus a lot anyway)…” 

Gajeel resisted the urge to facepalm. Why had he even bothered asking? 

Honestly, it was a relief when the subject of the Grand Magic Games came up, and everyone decided to split up to train for the next three months. Something about Levy going with Salamander’s group almost made Gajeel growl before he caught himself, but that just proved that he really needed some distance from her. Whatever they had between them, they weren’t ready for “wild mating season sex, twenty-four/seven.” 

…But maybe next year…

———

As it would turn out, Gajeel had the right idea but asked the wrong Dragon Slayer. 

“Huh? This doesn’t look like a spell…” Wendy muttered to herself, as she skimmed the text Polyushka had given her impossibly quickly with the help of Levy’s glasses. “Oh… oh my…”

Seeing her turn bright, embarrassed red, Levy tried to peek over Wendy’s shoulder. “What is it? What did Grandine write?” 

“There’s, um, some… Dragon Slayer things that she didn’t have a chance to tell me,” Wendy hedged, slamming the book shut and fidgeting awkwardly. “Because I was too young… Adult things. I wonder if Natsu-san knows about this… I-I guess he’s probably old enough, and it’s that time of year, isn’t it…? And he and Gray-san… Ooooooh….” 

“What? What’s up? What kind of adult things?” Levy pressed, but the girl refused to explain. 

“I need to talk to Natsu-san,” she insisted. 

After Erza had very persuasively (read: violently) instructed them to keep their hands off each other and focus on preparing for the games, Natsu and Gray had instead turned training into a competition. Who could run the farthest while dragging the most weight? Who could make the biggest burst of magic? 

So finding Natsu was just a matter of following the towers of flames and ice alternatingly shooting into the sky. “Hey, Wendy,” Gray greeted her as she climbed onto the cliff where he was standing. “How’s your training going?” A huge blast of fire burst out from under the sea in front of them. “Natsu’s really going all out… But I won’t let him get ahead of me!” 

In retaliation, he created an even taller, intricate ice tower under their feet, raising them up for an amazing view of the surroundings. 

“Competitive behavior and showing off in front of the mate…” Wendy muttered to herself, then raised her voice. “Gray-san, there’s something I need to talk to Natsu-san, and you, about.” 

——

“Mating season?” Natsu repeated, tilting his head to the side. 

“Mating season?!” Gray reiterated in disbelief. 

“Y-yes,” Wendy repeated, fidgeting. “It’s in the notes Grandine left with Polyushka-san. It happens every spring once a Dragon Slayer matures – around age seventeen or eighteen. I guess this is the first time for you, Natsu-san?”

“Yeah… You know, I think Gajeel mentioned something like that,” Natsu mused.

“I don’t believe this,” Gray groaned. 

“It’s probably a bit late this year because of the gap. It threw off your internal clock,” Wendy continued, determined to forge on and focusing on the more clinical side of things to keep her own embarrassment down. “Dragon mating season is characterized by a drastic increase in the sex drive, but it can only be satisfied with a compatible individual – in other words, a mate. But it also allows a mate to be easily identified, as their scent and physical appearance become exceptionally appealing.” 

It was amazing that she could phrase “you get horny and really want to bang your mate, who smells super good all of a sudden” in such a dry way. 

Natsu looked more confused than anything, but Gray was beginning to blush heavily. “Um, yeah, there is definitely a lot of… sex drive,” he allowed in a strangled voice. In his mind, the echo of Natsu’s voice whispered, ‘You smell so good, Gray. I can’t hold back…’ That must have been when it started. 

“The dragon or Dragon Slayer becomes exceptionally sensitive to their mate’s scent and fluctuation in their hormones, including due to emotional changes,” Wendy continued with her lecture. She had apparently decided she had to get it out in one go, or she’d never manage it. “Their protective and possessive instincts will also increase, especially where other mature dragons or Dragon Slayers are concerned. Even innocuous actions from allies will be seen as a challenge.” 

“So I should stay away from Laxus and Gajeel?” Gray surmised. 

Wendy didn’t stop to confirm, her lecture picking up speed. “As an expression of the possessive instinct, dragons and Dragon Slayers are driven to mark their mates as much as they deem safe.” 

Gray slapped a hand over – some – of the pronounced hickies on his neck and flushed deeper red. 

“There are also strong drives to prove their strength in various feats and that they can support their mate through gifts,” Wendy concluded. “Do you have any questions?” 

“I don’t really get it, but basically you’re saying that it’s totally natural for me to want to b– er, do Gray all the time?” Natsu summarized. “Six times a day? And we should totally do it now? Cause it’s Dragon Slayer nature?” 

Gray growled under his breath. “Listen here, you flame for brains–”

“But Natsu-san, don’t you want to show Gray-san how strong you are? What if we can’t match up to the other guilds in the Grand Magic Games?” Wendy asked with a seemingly guileless face. 

Now that he knew what to look for, Gray could almost see the different instincts at war with each other on Natsu’s face. Show off to his… mate? Or just mate with said mate?

“That’s right, I bet I can get more training done than you,” Gray added, which never failed to get Natsu motivated. 

“Oh yeah?! Just watch me!” Natsu roared and took off. 

Gray dropped his face into his hands. “And he’s going to be like this for how long?” he wondered, with muffled despair. Although, admittedly, Natsu wasn’t that different, just… more so than usual. And a lot hornier.

“It… might wear off early? Since it started late this year,” Wendy suggested. “I’d guess another couple of months.” 

Gray groaned piteously.

———

They didn’t really have time to worry about it after that – with the invitation to the Celestial Spirit World, yet another time lag and the revelation that their three months of training time had disappeared literally overnight, then Crime Sorciere’s arrival and the agonizing process of unlocking their Second Origins. 

Once it was all over and they were to depart for Crocus the next day, Wendy lay in bed sleepless and wincing. It was hard to believe they’d gone from April to almost July just like that. It didn’t feel like mid-summer. All these time skips were really messy with her sense of time….

Wait. That reminded her of something. 

As Wendy froze, a very scary thought beginning to dawn on her, her sensitive ears picked up faint, muffled voices from the boys’ room. 

“Seriously?! How? I feel so sore I can barely move. How can you want to do it now?” Gray hissed, followed by a dull thump. 

“Ow. You can sure hit me well enough,” Natsu complained. “Come on, you heard Wendy, it’s totally normal. Come on, Gra~ay…” 

It sounded like Gray refused, quite violently, but Wendy wasn’t listening anymore. 

‘Oh no,’ she thought. ‘Oh noooooo…’

“Erza-san,” Wendy hissed, scrambling over to Titania’s bed. “Erza-san, please wake up. There’s something I have to tell you. It’s very important!” 

Needless to say, Erza was far from impressed to be woken to “I’m not sure we should let Gray fight because Natsu might rip his opponents apart for even daring to breathe at him wrong. Because he thinks it’s still dragon mating season.” 

——


	2. GrayTear prompt, chance meeting

Prompt: Gray comes back to look for Ultear after he spotted her somewhere. (Adult canon ver.)

\----

The whereabouts and movements of Crime Sorciere were unpredictable and almost impossible to track, for good reason. Fiore’s only “independent” guild was an enemy to both the Magic Council and the criminal dark guilds they fought. It was quite literally them against the world. 

Even Fairy Tail, for all that they tacitly supported Crime Sorciere’s activities, for all of Erza’s affection for Jellal, all of Juvia’s concern for Meldy, all of Gray’s faith in Ultear, wouldn’t be able to lend them any tangible support if they were in danger. If anything, it was better that even Fairy Tail didn’t know where they were, given their guild’s own poor standing with the Magic Council. 

So when Gray caught a glimpse of a familiar figure in a little town on his way back from a mission, it was a rare chance. 

As much as he wanted to, Gray didn’t turn and make his way straight to Ultear. Just suddenly changing course and cutting across a street would draw attention, even in a small, sleepy town like this, and attention was the last thing Crime Sorciere needed. 

Instead, Gray continued on his way, then ducked into a side alley down the road and circled back. As he leaned against the wall next to her, in the shadow between the town’s only inn and the post office, Ultear glanced at him with a small smile from under the edge of her hood. Naturally, she’d noticed him, probably even before he’d noticed her. 

“So, come here often?” Gray joked, and was rewarded by a slight widening of that smile.

“Cute... but I hope you don’t think you’re being inconspicuous. Oddly enough, a half-naked man tends to draw quite a bit of attention,” Ultear said, keeping her tone light — she didn’t want him to think she was scolding him. Perhaps she should have been, but she was grateful for this chance meeting too. 

WIth a scowl, Gray realized he’d managed to lose his coat and shirt somewhere. He was sure he’d had them when he arrived in town, and he hadn’t even been there an hour yet...

“Dammit, not again,” he grumbled, surreptitiously checking that he at least still had his pants and boots. 

“Do you want to borrow my cloak?” Ultear offered, far too amused. 

“Nah, you probably need it more than me,” Gray said. Rather dryly, he added, “A beautiful woman in a battle suit like that attracts just as much attention as a half-naked man, you know.” 

This time, Ultear even chuckled quietly, making Gray feel like he was winning some hidden competition. 

“...Are you... doing okay?” he asked haltingly, after they stood in silence for several moments. Not that there was much he could do to help even if she wasn’t...

Their eyes met, and Gray was surprised to see a calm, content smile on her face. “Yes,” Ultear said firmly. “We’re doing just fine. You don’t have to worry about us. We’re strong, you know. I was the leader of the Kin of Purgatory for a reason. And now... I’ll use that power to pay back my sins, even a little.” 

“I’m still going to worry,” Gray muttered. “It’s only natural to worry for the people you care about. Especially if they’re running around fighting dark guilds.” 

“Of course,” Ultear murmured, smiling faintly again. “Thank you, then. For worrying about us.” 

‘About you,’ Gray wanted to correct her. Erza was the one who worried about Jellal, and Gray knew Meldy would be alright as long as Ultear had breath in her body. But he thought better of trying to argue that point. “Do you think you’ll come by here again?” he asked instead. 

“Maybe we will, maybe we won’t,” Ultear replied mysteriously, though she was most likely being honest — even Crime Sorciere didn’t know what path they’d take ahead of time.

“I’ll probably end up dropping by again on some job,” Gray said. “Just so you know.” 

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Ultear assured him. She was definitely smirking now. 

~.~.~

He “ended up dropping by again” a month later, but the alley between the inn and the post office was naturally empty. Gray wasn’t sure what else he expected. 

Leaning against the inn’s wall, Gray let out a long sigh and tipped his head back until it hit the slightly cracked plaster. Then, he tapped his head against it again for good measure. There was, he reminded himself as he stared at the worn bricks of the post office, absolutely nothing to be disappointed about. 

The chances of them crossing paths again were near zero, and it wasn’t like she could... leave a note...

With a sudden burst of inspiration or intuition, Gray lunged for the wall in front of him, running his fingers along the bricks, checking the seams. True, Ultear couldn’t leave a message with the innkeeper or anything like that, but maybe a hidden letter—!

There, he could feel the faint chill of ice magic behind one of the brinks, though it looked no different from the ones around it. Dispelling the ice, Gray carefully slid the brick out to check behind it and, after a few moments of cursing, finally managed to pull out the neatly folded square of paper that had been tucked into the back of the hole. 

The letter was short and vague — we’re alright, no major injuries, heard that you are alright as well — and somewhat awkward, as if the writer hadn’t known what to put. It made Gray smile to imagine Ultear pondering every word before committing it to ink. 

It was his first time seeing her handwriting, but the precise, slightly ornate letters suited her. By comparison, the half-legible scribbles on his reply made Gray feel a little embarrassed, but he hoped Ultear appreciated the thought if nothing else. 

~.~.~

His letter was still there three weeks later, when Gray checked again, but it was gone two weeks after that, replaced by a short note and a small charm he recognized as being in the northern style — coincidentally, Crime Sorciere had recently taken down another Zeref cult in the north. 

So they were trading souvenirs now, Gray mused with a faint smirk. 

He didn’t have anything with him that time, just a bottle of booze for Cana, but on his next mission nearby, Gray made sure to pick up a hairpin that he hid with another letter. 

Even communicating in such a covert way, they couldn’t afford to risk revealing too much, just in case it was intercepted. But despite that, Gray found out that Ultear liked a good tiramisu but hated all forms of ice cream (and teased her accordingly about being an ice wizard who was weak to cold), that her biggest source of annoyance about being always on the run was that she couldn’t keep a single book and instead had to resort to speed-reading and memorising anything she found interesting, that the Jellal-Erza situation annoyed her just as much as Gray...

Somehow, it made him far too happy to know those small things about her. Gray just hoped that Ultear was at least a little interested in the things he wrote in return. Sometimes it seemed silly and trivial to tell a woman on the run from both the law and every dark guild in Fiore that he was actually really bad at holding his liquor, despite Cana’s best efforts all through their teenage years. 

...He wanted to meet her again. 

~.~.~

Gray paused in midstep when he caught a glimpse of a stranger slipping out from the alley between the inn and the post office — a heavy-set man with close-cropped graying hair and a heavy two-handed sword on his back. 

There were, of course, perfectly innocent, unrelated reasons for that man to have been in what Gray had come to consider “their” alley. But better to be paranoid than careless, when it came to Ultear’s safety, especially given Crime Sorciere’s ever growing list of enemies. 

With only a passing glance into the alley — everything looked undisturbed, but that hardly meant anything — Gray fell in behind the stranger, tailing him unnoticed. 

Or at least, he tried to remain unnoticed. It became all too obvious that the man was aware of Gray’s presence when he stopped at a cafe and, taking a seat at one of the outdoor tables, looked straight at where Gray had quickly ducked behind a corner. Seeing Gray hesitate to reveal himself, the man went so far as to smile and make a “come hither” gesture. 

Gray was scowling as he slid into the seat across from him, but up close he couldn't help but notice that the stranger’s smile was terribly familiar. 

The person across from him chuckled and said, in a tone meant for well-worn in jokes, “Come here often?” 

Easing back in his chair with a slowly widening smirk, Gray replied, “And here I thought I’d draw less attention as long as I kept my shirt on.” This stranger, he realized, wasn't a stranger at all. “I'm glad Natsu isn't here. We finally managed to convince him you're really a woman.”

Ultear, transformed the same way she had taken the guise of Zalty on Galuna, just sighed in exasperation. “This isn't my hobby or anything, you know,” she complained under her breath. “It's just the easiest way to keep anyone from noticing if we need to come back to an area...” 

“I believe you,” Gray said with a completely straight face that somehow still implied that he now considered her a hardcore crossdresser. 

Ultear’s smile belied her narrow-eyed glare as she suddenly leaned in and took his hands into hers. Gray stared at their joined hands in confusion, only to realize a moment later that he wasn't the only one. The entire cafe, including the waitress who had approached their table, was staring at them with interest, disbelief or disapproval. 

“We’ll have a lemon tea and a cappuccino,” Ultear ordered calmly, as if she hadn't just made everyone in the vicinity think she was propositioning Gray — while looking like a burly older man. 

“R-right away!” the waitress stammered, her face a bright red from either embarrassment or a filthy imagination. Gray was afraid to find out which. 

Instead, he turned and glared at Ultear, who smiled back, her revenge complete. “You’re paying,” he muttered rebelliously. 

“It’s a date,” Ultear agreed, her smile widening. 

 

———


	3. Gratsu fluff week 2016, Scarf

Gratsu fluff week 2016, Day 4: Scarf

Gray was wearing it again. It — the scarf that smelled like Juvia. 

Admittedly, Natsu was probably imagining Juvia’s scent by this point. By all rights, it would have worn out of the yarn long ago… But Natsu would swear that he could still smell it, a constant reminder of what Lucy had confirmed — that Juvia had knitted it for Gray and that he had accepted it. And now wore it every once in awhile when the weather got colder. 

He didn’t even get cold! Gray had bragged about that enough for Natsu to know that he could go shirtless and pantsless in snow and sleet. He didn’t need a scarf, which meant he was wearing it just for show. To show Juvia that he appreciated it. 

The girls had noticed too and called it a sweet gesture. Natsu had just scowled harder. 

He wasn’t cruel or petty enough to “accidentally” set it on fire during one of their brawls or even just make sure it got conveniently lost when Gray threw it off along with his coat and shirt, but Natsu had definitely considered it more than once or twice. It didn’t help that Juvia lit up any time she saw Gray in her scarf, despite Gray’s continued insistence that he accepted it as just a friend and his rejections of her over the top love declarations. 

Stupid Gray and his mixed messages. Stupid Gray in general. 

Without conscious thought, Natsu found himself striding toward Gray, fists clenched and ready to punch. Whether he acknowledged them or not, he needed to vent his frustrations — and punching Gray’s stupid, handsome face a couple of times was always the best way to do that.

Looking up and meeting his glare, Gray immediately knew what Natsu intended, and his own fists came up instinctively. 

His annoyed expression — which seemed to scream, “This again?” — only pissed Natsu off even more. What, so now he was too good for a brawl too?

Guildmates scattered as the two collided. Someone shrieked — probably Lucy. Several others cheered drunkenly, even though it was barely afternoon. They were all lucky that Erza was out of town, or several skulls would have been feeling the impact of a hard, gauntlet-clad fist. As it was, Master only yelled something about not messing up the guildhall again and, with one enlarged hand, swept the brawling pair out the doors and into the street. 

An eager audience followed them out. Bets were beginning to be called out, leading to what looked like several more brawls in the making, when Asuka’s young voice made everyone stop in their tracks. 

“Look, Mommy, it’s snowing!” the girl called out, pointing eagerly at the sky. 

The guild looked up, confirming that soft white motes were slowly floating down from the heavy gray clouds above. It was still warm enough that most melted before ever reaching the ground, but it was indeed snowing in Magnolia. 

“Yay! Snow, snow!” Asuka chanted, spinning and clapping her hands in attempt to catch a snowflake.

Alzack and Bisca exchanged a look that could only come from over protective parents. “Asuka, let’s go back inside, okay? We can watch the snow fall from the guild,” Alzack suggested. 

“Aw, but why? I wanna play in the snow,” Asuka pouted. 

“We can play outside later, okay?” Bisca said. “You don’t have a coat or a scarf. You’ll get cold.” And sick again. The gunslinger couple still remembered all too well the heavy fever and cough their daughter had come down with two years before, and the desperation they felt while trying to acquire the medicine for her. They were much better off now, but it was better safe than sorry. 

Asuka sulked, kicking a loose stone unhappily. 

A little ways away, Natsu sulked too, when he noticed that Gray was no longer paying attention to their fight and was instead looking at the Connell family thoughtfully. “O-oi! You running away?!” he protested as Gray made his way toward them, only pausing to pick up the vest he’d thrown off, and completely abandoning Natsu. 

Kneeling in front of Asuka, Gray pulled off his scarf and wrapped it around her neck instead. “Here, this should be fine, right?” he said to Alzack and Bisca, draping his vest over the girl too.

“Are you sure, Gray?” Bisca asked. “We could just drop by our house and pick up her things…” 

“It’s fine. It might stop snowing by then, and I don’t get cold anyway,” Gray said. “Go ahead and keep it.” 

“Please, Mama? I wanna play now,” Asuka begged, tugging at Bisca’s skirt. 

“Well… I suppose,” Bisca conceded, exchanging a look with Alzack, who nodded as well. 

As Asuka cheered and began to run around again, clapping her hands, Gray straightened and stepped back. Catching Natsu’s gaze, he mouthed, ‘Happy now?’ Which made absolutely no sense. Natsu was happy for Asuka, of course, but not that happy…

And yet the urge to punch Gray in the face had definitely gone away. 

Well, he had done something nice for once, so maybe Natsu just didn’t feel like fighting someone who made a little girl happy.

“Going to stop glaring now?” Gray asked as he made his way back to where Natsu was still standing, glaring at the ground in thought. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Natsu denied immediately. Then undermined himself by adding, “Not like I care what you do with your stupid scarf.” 

“Right,” Gray muttered, looking vaguely pained. He sighed and glanced up at the sky, as if asking for strength. Rubbing the back of his neck, he said, in a rather stilted, stiff tone, “But I feel kinda cold now…”

He trailed off meaningfully and looked at Natsu as if waiting for something. However, Natsu only stared back blankly. “…You’re an ice wizard, you don’t get cold,” he pointed out. 

“Forget it. I should’ve known better. You flame for brains!” Turning on his heel, Gray started to stalk off. 

…Wait. Wait a minute. 

Finally, it all seemed to click in Natsu’s mind. 

“Wait! Oi, wait up, Snowflake!” Natsu yelled, jogging after Gray. He grinned a little when Gray slowed just a bit to let him catch up. Puffing up proudly, Natsu declared, “I figured it out! You want to borrow my scarf, right?” 

Gray looked ready to strangle him. “No, I don’t want—” he began, before the full meaning of what Natsu was offering hit him. For a moment, Gray spluttered helplessly. “T-that’s too much, idiot! Don’t just go straight to that! I mean…” he trailed off and glanced away, a blush spreading over his cheeks and his ears turning red, “just… stay close to me. That’s enough.” 

They walked home side by side, shoulders brushing. Later, someone would swear they had been holding hands too, but perhaps that was a trick of the light. 

 

———


	4. Ultear, ch 476 coda

**Goodbye**

(ch 476 extra scene)

~.~.~

_Time is flowing again…_

'What strong, courageous young women,' Ultear thought. 'If only my younger years were like theirs…'

They did not need her any longer, as the God Soul Takeover magic was undone, their enemy defeated, and the world of sealed time began to crumble. Perhaps they had never needed her. Her life and her power had always been a small thing — eclipsed by the love and strength she had seen in those girls.

Smiling with melancholy and acceptance, Ultear stepped back from the Sky Sisters' battlefield. What little she had left to give was gone now, her false form run through with cracks and crumbling. In moments, time would resume, and she would once again be only a frail old woman who had foolishly traded away everything chasing after meaningless things.

But even so, Ultear had no regrets. She had been blessed, she had realized after the night of the eclipse. She had stumbled, she had lost her way, but she had still received so much light and love — from her mother, from Gray, from Meldy and Jellal.

Perhaps she would allow herself this one last thing.

Just as time did not pass in the sealed world, there was no sense of distance. It took only a thought to appear on another battlefield, which stood completely still.

There had been a lull in the fighting there. Surrounded by bodies of knocked out imperial soldiers and spires of ice, four wizards stood frozen in the middle of a conversation. Ultear chuckled as she noticed Lyon's smitten expression, directed not at Juvia for once, but at Meldy, who was laughing at something he had said.

"Meldy…" Ultear said softly. "You've grown so much. I'm so proud. You and Jellal both have carried on the will and spirit of Crime Sorciere, standing tall against the darkness and supporting each other. I know… I know that you will win, and you will find happiness."

Stepping closer, she leaned in until her forehead almost touched Meldy's, strands of her dark hair slipping off her shoulders to sway gently between them. Closing her eyes against the gathering tears, Ultear murmured, "Fight, but also, be happy. You deserve all the happiness in this world. I love you, Meldy."

A sharp crack, and another fracture bisected her false body. Her time was almost up. Already, the distant sounds of battle were echoing through the sealed world, as time returned to normal.

Ultear stepped back, her eyes turning to the other person who had shown her the path of light when she had been in the darkness. Gray had been sighing at something, his arms crossed and an expression of long suffering on his face. It was a lighthearted sort of look, and it made Ultear glad to see it — to see that even in the middle of war, despite all the suffering he'd endured, Gray was still able to remain free of the darkness.

She wanted to say something to him too. A few times in the last year, she'd felt almost as if her wishes and thoughts had reached him, but that was surely only wishful thinking. This was the last time she would see him. There was so much, so much Ultear wanted to tell him...

But the words wouldn't come. There was just too much to say, too much she hadn't told him.

Her mouth opened helplessly, but no sound emerged. All around her, the world was stirring again; she was out of time, and she had missed her chance. Like always, she had wasted all her time.

Ultear reached out desperately, despite knowing she could touch no one and nothing in this illusionary form. Her hand already dissolving into dust, her body crumbling. Finally, as the seal of time collapsed, she managed to whisper, "Gray… Thank you, for everything."

Her vision was fading, but she thought… she thought she saw him turn and meet her gaze, his hand reaching out toward her in turn. She thought she felt his hand grasp hers.

Ultear smiled, grateful to him all over again. Always, reaching out for her, even in the deepest darkness.

~.~.~

'Gray…'

They had been laughing, taking one solitary moment to catch their breath and lift their hearts at the unexpected reunion on the battlefield. Closing his eyes, Gray had pretended to sigh in frustration at Lyon's skirt-chasing and overblown attempts at flirting.

But somehow, in that moment, he felt it again — that sense of standing between. He'd felt it before, against Doriate and a handful of times more, when he was at his lowest. And just like then, he heard her voice.

Ultear.

Always, it was as if she was standing behind him, urging him on. But this time, he could have sworn she was right in front of him.

Eyes snapping open, Gray lifted his hand and reached out instinctively for the voice he had been hearing whisper from somewhere out of sight. For an instance, he could see her figure. His fingers wrapped around her slim palm…

'...Thank you, for everything.'

Then, all he was holding was only dust and smoke, blowing away without a trace. Opening his hand, he saw nothing in his grip at all.

"...Gray?" Lyon asked, his lightheartedness giving way to grim focus at the first sign of possible danger. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"Gray-sama?" Juvia wondered as well.

They were both looking at him with concern — he had suddenly reached out and grasped at thin air, after all. Gray shook his head sharply, unwilling to explain, and tried to push the strange vision away, even as his heart twisted. Why was he thinking of Ultear now…?

He looked away, trying to avoid their worried gazes, only to stop short. "Meldy?" Gray called out, the same way as Lyon and Juvia had for him.

"...Huh?" Meldy blinked, startled out of a daze.

"You're crying," Gray told her quietly.

Reaching up to touch her wet cheeks in surprise, Meldy blinked again. "I… oh," she murmured. "I didn't realize…" Smiling at Lyon and Juvia in an attempt to dispel their sudden worry, she added quietly, "I just… thought I heard Ul…"

~.~.~

_Magic is born from love, and its power is for the sake your loved ones. Love, and live on._

~.~.~


	5. Lucana week 2016, oneshot

**Fortune and Favor**

(Lucana week oneshot)

~.~.~

 **I.** **Stars**

Groaning, Cana slid sideways to lie back on the hard bench and threw an arm over her face to cover her eyes. The morning light streaming in through the tall windows was far too cheerful and she was far too hungover to be awake. And yet awake she was because someone had decided that bright, early morning was just the time for a department meeting.

Sometimes, Cana really wondered why she had thought that joining the Mages Association was so important. Sure, it sounded impressive, and the networking brought in the high-paying clients, but she'd been pretty happy with just her little fortunetelling shop, right...?

The door at the front of the lecture hall was thrown open, and Cana quickly sat up to watch as two women made their way inside. In the lead was the one who had called the meeting, the head of the Department of Prophecy and the Sight — Ultear Milkovich.

At last half of the Association referred to her as just “the witch” for good reason. The clicking of her heels echoed ominously through the lecture hall as she made her to the podium. It took an effort not to shiver as her gaze passed over Cana, sweeping across the empty benches.

“Well then,” Ultear said, as if pronouncing a death sentence, “let's begin. Today's agenda is short. We have a new member in our department. Go ahead and introduce yourself.”

She gestured to the young woman who had arrived with her, a pretty blonde who looked in equal parts nervous, determined, and just plain puzzled. “I'm Lucy,” she said, looking around the lecture hall as if expecting more mages to appear at any moment. “I'm an astrologer. That means I can read the stars to understand the flow of past, present and future. ...But I guess you already know that. Um, nice to meet you!”

Realizing she was rambling, she cut her self introduction abruptly. Cana sympathized, but she couldn't help but smirk a bit. It was a cute sight. Almost worth being awake so early.

“Welcome,” Ultear said calmly, completely unfazed. “You have already received the Mages’ Association rule book. Make sure to study it carefully. For our department specifically, you will be sent a pamphlet regarding the proper moral conduct when performing readings for a client. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.”

She paused for a moment, pinning Lucy with another piercing look. “G-got it!” Lucy squeaked.

Ultear nodded. “Yukino Agria is absent today for personal reasons, but if you wish to introduce yourself, you should be able to get in touch with her through the Department of Spirit Invocation. Are there any other matters to address?” From her seat, Cana made a negative gesture. “Then we will adjourn this meeting. Good day.”

Lucy visibly sagged once the door shut behind Ultear. “That was too scary...” she muttered to herself.

That made Cana laugh. “Congrats on making it through,” she said, making her way down to the stage. “Don't worry, we hardly ever have meetings and no events or anything, so you probably won't see her again for at least half a year.” She grinned. “If you don't mess up, anyway.”

She laughed again at the wounded look Lucy shot her. “That doesn’t make me feel better at all,” Lucy muttered.

“Oh, by the way, I’m Cana Alberona,” Cana introduced herself. “Just Cana is fine. I read cards, for wealthy merchants or nobility mostly. But I give a good discount to lovers!” She winked, earning herself a smile from Lucy.

“I’m Lucy, I read stars... Wait, I already said that,” Lucy realized, flushing a little. She quickly changed the subject. “I don’t want to be rude, but is it really just... four people in the whole department?”

“Well, now there’s gonna be,” Cana snorted. “There’s this other guy, he uses a crystal ball like Ultear, but he missed the meeting, so—” she shrugged, “—tough luck for him.”

Lucy paled, already imagining getting kicked out after missing one meeting. Cana snickered, but took pity and explained.

“You know how tough the accreditation exam was? Well, that’s what Ultear’s standards are like. Let’s be honest, everyone thinks fortunetelling, soothsaying, all that stuff is just tricks and fraud,” she said. “So when Ultear took over as department head, she set out to make sure we only had people good enough to prove that they’re the real deal without a doubt. That means you have to brave her gauntlet to get in, but you also have to keep proving yourself.”

It was funny watching Lucy shiver at the memory of her “entrance exam,” but not that funny. Cana sometimes still remembered her own exam and felt cold sweat down her back. Ultear was absolutely terrifying.

Shaking the memories away, she went on, “That includes being able to do your thing to know when the meetings are going to be. Because you’re sure never going to get a notice or anything, and there’s no schedule. Our guy?” Cana jerked her thumb toward the empty benches around her. “He messed up his reading. Or maybe he forgot to do one for a few days. Or whatever. But he screwed up and I don’t think he has it in him to convince Ultear to him another chance.”

Lucy was quiet for a moment, before something seemed to occur to her. “Oh,” she realized. “She never did tell me where or when to meet. I thought I forgot, but she just never told me.”

Cana grinned. “Sounds like you’ll be fine!” she said. “As for the other girl — that’s Yukino Agria. She never shows to meetings. Her sister’s in the Spirit Invocation Department, and she’s got some huge feud with Ultear. It’s from before I joined, but it’s legendary. But Yukino always sends Ultear a note ahead of time, about how she’ll be absent. So it’s not like she can’t do the work.” Her smirk widening, Cana added, “With her and me and you, our department’s definitely the best looking one, I gotta say. And Ultear, of course — you know, between the heart stopping terror.”

She rewarded with a blush and an expression of... not disinterest. Despite her embarrassed fidgeting, Lucy had a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “A-anyway! ...Feud?” she changed the subject, leaning in with an expression that begged for juicy gossip.

Cana approved. The gossip was one of the few amusing things about the Association. “Oh yes... Want to grab some... brunch while I tell you all about it?”

“I’d love to,” Lucy smiled.

Maybe the early morning was worth it after all.

~.~.~

 **II.** **Dance**

“Come on, Cana! Please!” Lucy had begged. “You’re the only I can count on!”

That had to have been a lie. Lucy was friendly and open, she had friends in practically every department. Surely even one of those friends could have gone with her instead?

But no. She’d asked Cana, and Cana had caved like wet paper. So here she was, dressed up, stiff, uncomfortable and sadly sober, at some miserable, glittery charity ball. At Mercurius, Flower Light Palace.

“Were you just talking to the queen?” Cana hissed, handing Lucy a glass of something light and bubbly. She tried not to stare too obviously at the young woman who had just moved away from Lucy’s side.

“Oh, yes. Hisui’s... well, she’s like my childhood friend. We’ve known each other since we were very young,” Lucy explained, blushing a little.

“Childhood friend... So you’re a noble?” Cana wondered.

“I’m not!” Lucy protested, then reconsidered for a moment. “I guess Mom might have a title...? But we’re not, you know, really nobility or anything like that. It’s just...” She fidgeted with her glass. “Mom was the Court Astrologer, you know? Most people haven’t heard about it, but it’s a real position and it’s really close to the king. So... I was at the palace a lot as a kid.”

For a moment, Cana considered getting mad or trying to explain that this kind of a big deal, but in the end she just sighed. “A proper young lady of high breeding, aren’t you?” she joked instead.

“Oh, stop,” Lucy swatted at her, blushing. But her smile was relieved — she had been worried about how Cana would react, and somehow that made Cana feel better.

As did the fact that Lucy didn’t seem too eager to return to the party. Together, they watched the elaborately dressed nobility and upper class of Fiore chat and mingle, the babble of voices washing over them. “So your mother taught you to read the stars?” Cana asked quietly.

“She did,” Lucy confirmed, smiling with nostalgia. “She was the Court Astrologer, until I was about ten, I think? A lot of people in her family have been. Our ancestor was actually the one who created the position, back when the kingdom was being founded.”

“...A proper young lady of high breeding,” Cana repeated, sighing. “That’s quite a family history there. What are you even doing with the Association? It’s not like you need the credentials.”

“Quit it,” Lucy muttered. “I think you’re much more impressive. You taught yourself, right? That’s amazing. I can’t even imagine figuring things out on my own.”

“It’s not a big deal,” Cana deflected. “I basically made stuff up a lot when I started out doing readings. I suppose people have a point when they say most fortunetellers are frauds.”

“R-really?” Lucy stared at her in surprise.

“Oh yeah! Especially before I opened my shop, when I was just doing readings on the street or at carnivals,” Cana said, smirking and shrugging. “I wasn’t much good yet. So I’d just get something about water, something about women, and guess the rest! People didn’t really expect me to be accurate back then anyway. If I winged it with my clients now...”

She laughed a little nervously. Her clients now were all high-profile — the rich, the famous, even representing entire companies or towns. Her standing had gone up a lot since being accredited by the Mages’ Association.

“You really are amazing,” Lucy said, admiring and sincere. “Maybe you should become the Court Seer. No one ever said it had to a star-reader.”

“No, thanks!” Cana snorted. “I can’t stand stuff like this!”

She tugged pointedly at her dark suit’s jacket. It was well tailored and fit her perfectly without being too tight or uncomfortable — and as a concession to her own sensibilities, Cana had naturally unbuttoned the shirt underneath almost entirely — but she still felt awkward in it. The looks she had been getting for foregoing a ball gown didn’t exactly make her more at ease either.

“But you look very dashing,” Lucy countered.

“Hoh? Well, then,” Cana drew out, leaning in, “how about a dance?”

She didn’t wait for a reply, taking Lucy’s hand and pulling her toward the center of the massive party hall. “Wait, Cana! Do you even know how to dance? I mean, ballroom dance?” Lucy wondered, even as she had to correct Cana’s grip on her waist and position their hands together.

“Nope! But how hard can it be?” Cana said. “And if I step on your feet, that’s what you get for dragging me out here. It’s either that, or you finally let me drink for real.”

“...Dancing it is,” Lucy sighed.

~.~.~

**III. Sacrifice**

“You! Why did you tell me?!”

Lucy fumbled and nearly dropped her cup as Cana suddenly burst into her apartment. There was a magazine in Cana’s hand, open to a page in the back, and she thrust it into Lucy’s face, making her go cross-eyed in an attempt to read it.

“Why didn’t you tell me you’re doing the horoscopes for Sorcerer?!” Cana demanded. It was, indeed, a copy of Sorcerer Magazine that she was now waving around angrily. “I knew they were too accurate! When I started getting the same results, I was worried I’m turning into a hack!” She paused and added, “Not that I think you’re a hack. But horoscopes usually are! So why didn’t you tell me?”

“Well, that’s...” Lucy minced for a moment. “It’s silly, isn’t it? I mean, it’s like you said. You don’t need to be a seer at all to write those things. They’re practically jokes. Isn’t it a waste to be doing it, when I could be using my magic for something... important.”

Cana looked at her in surprise for a moment, before sighing. Throwing the magazine onto the coffee table, she dropped onto the couch next to Lucy.

“Oh man, time for the unofficial follow up to the morals pamphlet,” Cana said. She kinda wished she’d brought a drink. “You read that thing Ultear sent you, right?”

“Yes,” Lucy said. “About the morals and ethics of readings, not revealing personal information and abiding by the spirit of laws, even if the letter doesn’t cover fortunetelling...”

“Yes, yes, all that,” Cana said, waving her hand. “But did you read it through to the end? Because the last thing it tells you is not to get a big head and start thinking you’ve got some great duty. How did it go... ‘Realized just how small your existence is, compared to the endless world spreading out before you. You cannot hope to carry the burden of guiding its path, and you will only destroy yourself trying.’ Man, Ultear definitely wrote that herself..."

“...I do remember that,” Lucy said. “But shouldn’t we at least try?”

Cana shrugged. “You can, if you think that’s the right thing to do,” she said. “But I’d rather you didn’t. You’re my friend, and I don’t want to see you lose yourself. Maybe it’s selfish, but I’ll choose your happiness over some supposed good we can do.”

“Thanks, Cana,” Lucy said, smiling. Pulling her legs up and hugging her knees, she stared pensively at the magazine on the coffee table in front of them. “It’s just... Mom was the Court Astrologer, you know? She was always searching through the futures to find the best path for the kingdom. She could predict storms, droughts, earthquakes, even civil unrest.”

Cana listened silently, keeping her questions to herself. Still, reaching out, she slid her arm over Lucy’s shoulders and pulled her against her side.

“Everyone in our line has done that too, guiding Fiore since it was founded. And everyone expected me to take over for her. But I... I ran away from home instead,” Lucy admitted. “Sure, I got certified by the Association, but what’ve I been doing with that? Writing silly horoscopes that no one really believes?”

Huffiing, Cana pinched her lightly. “Quit it,” she chided. “You think I’m different? All my clients want to know is what style of dress will be most popular when the midwinter ball rolls around, or if it’ll rain on their wedding day, or if their spouse is cheating on them. It’s all nonsense. And you know what? Even Ultear’s not that different. She hardly ever does future readings. She works with archeologists to see the past of ruins.”

“Eh? Really?” Lucy looked at her in surprise.

“Yup,” Cana said. “I was surprised too. It’s not like she can’t see the future, but she doesn’t like to. And it’s not like she couldn’t do something more ‘meaningful’ like help with crime scenes or whatever. She just does what she likes to. And if it’s good enough for our department head...” She shrugged. “What’s the point of sacrificing your happiness and making yourself miserable? Just do what you want.”

“What I want...” Lucy murmured to herself. Smiling suddenly, she uncurled and pressed up against Cana, her arms coming up around Cana’s neck and pulling her down until their foreheads pressed together. “Thank you,” Lucy said, and pressed a kiss to Cana’s cheek.

“...Sure, anytime,” Cana managed, faintly.

~.~.~

**IV. Colors (Rainbow)**

Cana watched Lucy pore over her notebook with increasing annoyance. She had been waiting for half an hour already, and despite her distracted promises, Lucy didn’t seem to be anywhere near done or ready to take a break.

“Oi, Lucy! How long are you going to keep scribbling? You wanna go, or what?” Cana called out, sighing sharply. Sliding sideways, she sprawled across Lucy’s couch and wished she’d thought to bring a bottle with her.

“In a minute...” Lucy promised without looking away, her pen still scratching across the paper. “I just need to... I’ve almost got it. This scene is...” She finally paused, lifting up her pen, only to dive back in, crossing out entire lines furiously. “No! This isn’t right at all!”

“Okay, time to stop,” Cana decided. Standing and making her way over to Lucy, she wrapped her arms around her friend’s waist and bodily lifted her from the behind the desk.

“Ah! Cana!” Lucy protested, squeaking in surprise. “I’m in the middle of—”

“You’re in the middle of driving yourself crazy,” Cana corrected her. “And also in the middle of standing me up. You’re the one that wanted to go see the rainbow sakura together, remember? And made me promise not to bring any booze, by the way. I sure hope you’re planning to make up for that somehow. It’s going to have to be good. Drinking under the sakura is a tradition, you know—”

Now it was Lucy’s turn to sigh. “Yes, yes, I’m sorry for not wanting to spend an evening with you while you’re sloshed,” she muttered.

“Doesn’t seem like you want to spend an evening with me at all,” Cana said bitterly.

Lucy wilted a little, wincing guiltily. “I’m sorry,” she said earnestly, reaching out to take Cana’s hand and squeezing gently. “I really want to spend time with you. I know you have to come up all the way from Magnolia to see me.”

Flushing, Cana backpedalled, “It’s not that big a deal. I’m in Crocus a lot anyway, lots of clients here. It’s a fun place.”

“Still, I’ll definitely have to make it up to you,” Lucy said. “I’ll make it good... promise.”

Her smile was unexpectedly sly as she peered up at Cana through her eyelashes. It was remarkably unfair. Lucy was already strikingly attractive and her easily-flustered demeanor only added to her charm. If she actually started flirting on purpose... Cana felt a sudden heat and a sense of lightheadedness that rivalled any liquor.

Lucy beamed. “So let’s go!” she exclaimed cheerfully, wrapping herself around Cana’s arm and dragging her along.

There was a festival in Magnolia too, every year when the rainbow sakura bloomed. The townspeople and visitors from the neighboring villages would gather in the park and sit beneath the old trees, catching up with old friends, exchanging drinks, sometimes having impromptu dances or games. It was fun and a fond memory stretching back to Cana’s childhood.

The flower viewing in Crocus was very different. There was no space to lay down a blanket and sit with family and friends beneath the blooming crowns. Instead, the sakura trees lined an open avenue, with stalls set up along its length. Citizens and visitors milled between them, buying food and souvenirs, playing games, and even taking photographs.

It was different, but the atmosphere was similar, and Cana found herself grinning without realizing. Throwing an arm over Lucy’s shoulder, she pulled her close. “What should we do first? A game? A snack? Or maybe...”

“No alcohol,” Lucy immediately shot her down. Conceding a little, she added, “In public.”

“Oh-hoh! So we can have a private party later? I like that,” Cana leered. “Well, then! Let’s have some fun in the meantime. How about that one over there?”

She was pointing at a stand with a three cup game — the stallkeeper would hide a die under one of the cups, then shuffle them around, leaving the festival goers to guess which one had the die. “Cana! Using your magic like that is cheating!” Lucy protested, even though she was smiling.

Cana rolled her eyes. “I don’t need my sight for that,” she snorted. “Come on! I used to read cards at carnivals when I was a kid. I know all their tricks, and it’s just sleight of hand. Don’t worry! Just watch, I’m gonna wreck him.”

Sauntering over, Cana slammed a few coins onto the stall. The proprietor grinned at her, doubtlessly noticing her lowcut top. “Ready?” he asked, showing her the die and dropping in the center of the tabletop. Smirking, Cana made a beckoning gesture.

The center cup slammed down over the die, and the shuffle began. It was quick and practiced, and Lucy had to blink quickly to clear her head when she found herself going cross-eyed in an attempt to keep up. Cana... wasn’t even watching the cups, just smirking at the stallkeeper, who smiled back with the unreadable expression of a professional salesman.

Finally, the dance of the cups came to an abrupt stop, and the proprietor drew back, spreading his hands invitingly. “Now, where is the die hiding?” he asked. “You only get one chance!”

Putting a finger on her chin, Cana pretended to think. “Well... it’s not this one,” she said slowly, pointing to the center cup. Reaching out, she tipped it over to reveal nothing underneath. “And it’s not... this one.” This time, the far left cup tipped over, again with nothing beneath. “So it’s gotta be this one!” Grinning brightly, Cana pointed to the cup on the right.

“Exactly right!” the salesman agreed, his smile unwavering. The spectators who had gathered behind Cana cheered, and the proud winner grinned. “Pick your prize!”

Cana chose a hairpin with a rainbow flower and, turning to Lucy, held it up against her golden hair. “For you, my lady,” she said, smirking. “It suits you.”

“Huh? Oh! Thank you,” Lucy smiled, pulled out of her thoughts. “Put it in for me?”

The pin slid easily into her sidetail, the clear beads beneath the rainbow flower chiming softly as she raised her head again. “Perfect,” Cana judged. “...So? Are you going to ask?”

Lucy smiled sheepishly. “No, I get it,” she said. “All three were empty, right? But you didn’t call him out because that would just make a mess...”

“Now look who’s cheating with her magic,” Cana teased. “You’re mostly right. The actual reason I didn’t call him out is because it’s a bit of harmless fun. Like I said, I knew a lot of people who ran games like this. Maybe it’s not as random as they make it seem, but they make sure everyone has fun, you know? He really played it off really well too, didn’t flinch at all.”

“Oh, I see... That’s nice of you,” Lucy said. “You’re so kind, Cana.”

“M-me? No way!” Cana protested. “I’m tough as nails! I drink grown men under the table! I arm wrestle them into submission! I’ve been cursed out more often than I’ve been complimented — and by the way, I’ve been complimented a lot! I’m—”

“Yes, yes, you’re amazing,” Lucy agreed, laughing. “You’re— Oh, I just had a really good idea. Yes, that would definitely work... Paper, I need paper! I have to write this down!”

She started digging frantically through her purse, heedless of Cana’s bewildered stare.

“Oh no, I must have left my notepad at home!” Lucy wailed. “I don’t even have a pen! Cana, stop laughing at me! I had this great idea, this entire perfect scene, I have to write it down right now before I lose it—!”

Cana kept laughing. It was just too funny to watch.

In the end, Lucy went home with seven fan, story ideas scribbled on their backs with black calligraphy ink. Even after she copied all the notes onto paper, she still kept them, messy writing and all. When inspiration waned, she would reach into the drawer of her desk and, running her hand along the spine of one, remember that day under the rainbow flowers.

~.~.~

 **V.** **AU (Another World)**

“And you wrote this?” Cana said, turning the manuscript over in her hands. “An entire book?”

“That’s right! I just finished, so I want you to read it!” Lucy beamed. “I don’t want to send it to a publisher without a second opinion. Tell me what you think! Be honest! Harsh! ...But not too harsh, okay?”

Leafing through the pages, Cana chuckled. “So you want to be a writer?” she asked absently.

“It’s always been my dream. I’ve loved books since I was a little girl,” Lucy said. “But I wanted to learn Mom’s magic too. I could never decide... what should I do? But I figured it out, after talking to you! I decided — I’m going to do both! I’m going to use Mom’s magic for my writing!”

“Oh? Then this story is...?”

“It’s based on something I saw in the stars,” Lucy confirmed, puffing up proudly. “Of course, I changed some parts to make a better story, and the names. And the writing’s all mine. But the idea is from another possible path.”

“Another world... I did hear you could look into those too,” Cana mused. “So what’s this world like? Is it really like ours?”

“It’s pretty similar,” Lucy said. “I can’t see the ones that are really different, since I’m looking at other paths our world could’ve taken. So it has all the same people, another me, another you, another Ultear even... But it’s a little different too. There’s magic guilds, for one.”

“What’s so weird about that? Mages can join guilds,” Cana pointed out.

“No, a guild that’s just mages!” Lucy insisted. “From all kinds of disciplines!”

“In the same guild? How does that even work?” Cana wondered. “What kind of jobs do they take?”

“All kinds!” Lucy beamed. “I haven’t been able to track down where it started, the turning point that separates our worlds, but it seems like mages there aren’t... integrated with non-mages. So you don’t have a ward mage in a masons’ guild, or an ice mage in a merchant’ guild, you just have magic guilds. And they accept any kind of request that would need magic.”

“Sounds like a mess,” Cana said succinctly.

“I suppose so, but it works for them,” Lucy said. “There’s no Association, but they do have a Magic Council. It’s kind of similar, but they have their own laws — and their own soldiers.”

“Seriously? And the kingdoms are okay with that?”

“I guess they’re used to it,” Lucy shrugged. “Their magic is kind of different too. Oh, and mages are called wizards instead!”

A laugh burst out of Cana at that. “I don’t know,” she said. “I guess it makes a good story, but it just seems... weird.”

“It... kind of is,” Lucy agreed, smiling wryly. “Seeing it, especially. It’s real, but it’s also kind of not real at the same time. The other me... her life’s really different from mine. But it’s similar too. She uses a magic about stars, but it’s not for prophecy. She inherited it from her mom too, but... It just feels strange sometimes. Like a what-if, but about a choice you never had the chance to make.”

“Do you envy her?” Cana asked. “That other you?”

“Envy her?” Lucy repeated. “I wonder... Being in a guild is fun and... it’s nice, to have another family like that. She goes on these adventures with her friends, and...” She hesitated, her lips pursuing. “There’s a guy she loves, even if she doesn’t realize it. But I’ve never even met him. It’s so strange, that there’s someone so important to her, and here in this world, our paths never crossed at all.”

“Mhm... So much for fate, huh?” Cana said lightly.

“So it seems,” Lucy chuckled. “I feel a bit let down about that. But if you look at it another way, it’s even more amazing — that you were able to meet the people you love. It’s not because of fate. There was never a guarantee that you would be in each other’s lives, but here you are. And I’m just so... grateful for that.”

She smiled at Cana earnestly, and it was... Cana’s mind blanked completely. “S-so!” she scrambled to gather her thoughts. “This guy... do you want to meet him?”

Lucy blinked at her in surprise — then burst out laughing. Holding her stomach, she bent over and kept laughing, hard enough to bring tears to her eyes. Cana huffed, crossing her arms, and waited. “You done yet?” she finally prompted.

“J... just a moment!” Lucy managed between her slowing giggles. Wiping away a tear, she said, “Oh, that was good. Meet... hehehe.” Cana sighed again. “Sorry, sorry. It’s just... What are you even thinking? Some kind of fated lovers thing?”

“I don’t know, I thought that... maybe... Maybe you’d like him in this world too,” Cana mumbled.

“Maybe I would, maybe I wouldn’t,” Lucy said practically. “I’m not that Lucy, and I’m not going to try to live her life, or anything like that. If we meet, we’ll meet. And if we don’t...” She shrugged. “I’m happy with the friends I have, the ones I met on my own. They’re pretty great, you know.” The last part she added with a knowing smile.

“You got that right,” Cana agreed, puffing up a little, as one of those great friends.

“In fact,” Lucy said, leaning toward her until their shoulders touched, even as a blush began to spread across her cheeks. “I think what I’d like... is to get to know them better.”

“...I’d like that too,” Cana said, leaning closer.

She moved in to close the final distance... slowly... slowly... and found herself pressing her nose against Lucy’s manuscript, which Lucy had suddenly held up between them. Raising an eyebrow, Cana tilted her head to try to glimpse of Lucy around the book, but her friend insistently hid her face. Her ears, though, were a bright, burning red.

It seemed she had chickened out at the last moment, and Cana had to hide a smile at her shyness.

“...in a bit,” Lucy mumbled. “Okay?”

“Okay,” Cana agreed. “...Are you going to give me the book though? I want to read it.”

~.~.~

 **VI.** **Firsts**

Flipping back her hair, Cana struck a pose and put on a sultry smile.

“Well? How I look?” she asked, tilting back her head to bare her neck and drawing back her shoulders to emphasize her bust.

The gallery of expensive spirits on her coffee table remained silent, only showing warped reflections of her in their polished surfaces.

“Looking good,” Cana interpreted, relaxing and nodding to herself. She looked over the cards spread out next to the bottles, but the forecast hadn’t changed — very lucky, strengthening bonds, and water. “I wonder if we’ll go down to the canals after dinner,” Cana wondered. “Maybe I should take a jacket with me...”

But none of her jackets really fit her outfit. Should she change it then? But she’d spent so long picking it out, and she looked so good...

“Argh! This is stupid!” Cana complained, throwing up her hands. “I don’t have time for this! I’m going to miss the train!” Still, she dithered for a moment longer, bag in hand, glancing at the closest and the jackets inside.

In the end, she rushed out without one. Better to look nice and get a bit cold than to look only half-nice the entire time, she thought.

Lucy had sounded especially excited and nervous when she asked Cana to come to Crocus that weekend. Cana spent the long train ride there trying to imagine what the reason might be. It wasn’t either of their birthdays, and it wasn’t yet the anniversary of Lucy’s certification. So what could it be...?

They had both been busy since Lucy had shown Cana her manuscript — Cana with a sudden influx of clients, Lucy with revising her story — so they hadn’t had much chance to... follow up. Cana didn’t want to admit to how many readings she had attempted about what to do.

Naturally, the results were ambiguous at best. Fortunetelling wasn’t really meant to be used like that, especially not about another seer. So it seemed that Cana would have to muddle through blindly like everyone else. It wasn’t a feeling she enjoyed.

As the train pulled into the station, Cana settled for checking her makeup one last time. Snapping the compact shut, she nodded to herself again. She’d make this work, magic or no magic.

~.~.~

The meaning of the “water” prophecy became clear halfway through dinner.

Lucy had booked a table at a casual but popular restaurant — on the open air balcony that offered a beautiful view of the capital’s skyline and the myriad lacrima lights. The restaurant also offered an impressive selection of high quality wines, of which Lucy ordered a bottle.

“You look nice,” Cana said. She meant it, too. Lucy always paid attention to her appearance, but she had definitely made a special effort. The beads under the rainbow flower hairpin twinkled as Lucy brushed back her hair, blushing and smiling.

“Thanks,” she said, “so do you. I wanted to celebrate tonight, actually. You see... my novel’s been accepted by a publisher.”

“Really? That's great!”

“It still needs to go through some editing, before it's ready to actually publish,” Lucy added quickly, but she couldn't hide her pleased grin. “But I wanted you to be the first to know. I wouldn't have made it without your help.”

“Give yourself more credit,” Cana chided, softened by her smile. “It was all you! Well, you and your readings. Be honest, you looked up which publisher to apply to and on which day, didn't you?”

“Well... I might have checked around a bit,” Lucy admitted. “But it's not like it's absolute or anything. Readings are always a little...”

She trailed off, blinking in surprise as a cold, wet droplet slid down her cheek. Another hit Cana’s wineglass with a quiet tink. Both of them looked questioningly up at the sky. Up to then, everyone had paid no mind to the scattered clouds above, which had seemed harmless enough. However, it seemed appearances had been deceiving.

Thick drops of rain quickly began to pelt down onto the dinners, turning into a thick deluge within moments. The pounding sound of the downpour even nearly drowned out the startled yells of the customers and their stampede indoors.

“I don’t believe this!” Lucy complained, shaking her head to get her bangs out of her eyes and trying to wring out her long ponytail. “Why is this happening? Both Aquarius and Scorpio were right in position! All my readings said today would be the best day...”

She sounded honestly distraught and frustrated at the world for not cooperating, but Cana couldn’t help but laugh. “You looked it up too? I just kept getting water. Guess I know why, now,” she said. “It’s okay, don’t worry. A little water won’t kill us.”

“But it’s ruining our first rate!” Lucy practically wailed.

It was a struggle for Cana not to laugh again, but she had a feeling it would be taken the wrong way if she did. “First date? We’ve known each other for almost a year. We’ve gone out lots of times,” she pointed out.

“This is different!” Lucy insisted. “That was as friends, this is... w-well...”

“Oh, really?” Cana said, smirking a little. “If that’s how you want to look at it... I don’t remember you asking me out.”

Lucy blinked in her surprise, running over their vision lacrima conversation in her head. “You’re right,” she realized. Her lips pursed in a frustrated pout. “That won’t do at all! Cana! Will you go on a date with me?”

“Yes,” Cana replied simply. “I’d love to.”

She started to laugh again when Lucy made a fist pumping motion, crowing in victory.

“But in the meantime,” Cana went on, reaching out to take Lucy’s hand and tugging her closer, “why don’t we have another first instead?”

“Another first?” Lucy repeated, leaning in.

“I’m thinking... first kiss,” Cana whispered. “Okay?”

“Okay,” Lucy breathed, closing the final distance.

~.~.~

**VII. Future**

“Have you seen my green blouse? The one with the lace panel on the chest?” Lucy asked, stopping in the middle of their bedroom, topless.

“No...” Cana drew out, still a bit groggy. Mornings weren’t her thing, no matter how much dating Lucy had cut down on the all-night partying. “But I’m pretty sure that’s my bra you’re wearing.”

“H-huh? This one is...” Lucy tagged on the dark straps, her eyebrows rising as she remembered slipping it off Cana on more than one occasion. “It’ll do,” she decided. “I don’t have time to look for another one. I need to find my blouse, or I’ll be late for the meeting!”

They had eventually decided to move in together, in Crocus. It had made the most sense, and they compromised by visiting Magnolia often, to get away from the noise and chaos of the capital. It seemed like every other morning, Lucy was rushing out to get to a meeting at Sorcerer, or with her publisher, or an interview about her bestseller — hopefully the first of many.

Cana had her own appointments later in the day, but for the moment, she was content to lie around in bed, watching her girlfriend scramble to get ready.

“Just wear the white one over there,” Cana suggested. “It’ll look fine.”

“You think so?” Lucy asked, snagging the white shirt off the back of a nearby chair. Pulling it on, she ran her hands over the shoulders and the chest to flatten any wrinkles. It did look fine, though Lucy sulked a little at having to compromise.

Finishing her makeup and fixing her hair one last time, Lucy made her way over to the bed and bent over to give Cana a goodbye kiss. “Quit it, you’ll mess up my lipstick,” she murmured, chuckling as Cana tried to pull her in for a more passionate liplock. “See you later.”

“Later,” Cana echoed.

The front door clicked shut, and Cana let herself fall back on the pillows. She was grinning stupidly again, she realized. Who knew something so simple could make her so happy?

Groping over the bedside table, she grabbed her cards and, fanning them out, drew one. It was a reflexive thing, and Cana only smiled, unsurprised, when the result was less than enlightening. There were just some things even a fortuneteller couldn’t see. Whether Lucy’s next book would be popular, whether they would be happier living in Crocus or Magnolia, whether they’d be able to stay together and for how long...

But maybe it was better that way. Some things, it was better to find out as they came.

Dropping the deck back on the nightstand, Cana turned over and buried her face in the pillow. It smelled like Lucy, and she found herself smiling again.

They didn’t need to see the future. They’d make it themselves.

~.~.~

 **0.** **Cards**

“—and then she looks me dead in the eye and says, ‘If you don’t finish in three days, you’ll be late coming back for your daughter’s birthday!’”

Relating his tale animatedly, Gildarts had lowered his voice to an ominous booming tone which was not at all suited to the wispy, beautiful woman he had previously described. Nonetheless, Cana watched and listened with avid interest, nearly missing her mouth with the next forkful of the slightly smushed cake.

“And then,” Gildarts went on, “just as I’m rushing out — can’t be late for my best girl’s special day! — she adds, ‘By the way, she likes almond cake best.’ I swear she was laughing at me!”

Cana laughed too. “I knew you couldn’t figure it out on your own, you bum!”

“That’s mean, honey! Why didn’t you tell Daddy you like almond cake? I almost got strawberry,” Gildarts protested.

“I forgot,” Cana shrugged. In truth, she’d figured it out while he was gone, again, but she didn’t want to spoil the day by bringing that up. Her father had actually made it home for her birthday — just for her, in fact. He’d even thought to get her a cake. She could forgive the details. “So,” she changed the subject, “did she really get all that just from some cards?”

“Well, she only used the cards with me,” Gildarts said, scratching his stubbly chin. “But she had a crystal ball too, and a spirit board. I heard other fortunetellers read palms or tea leaves. It’s a magic that can take a lot of forms.”

“And you can find out the future like that?” Cana pressed.

“If you’re the real deal, sure,” Gildarts said. Smirking, he teased, “Why? You want to find out if you’ll get a cute boyfriend soon?”

“Urgh, Dad! No way! Boys are gross!” Cana protested, kicking him under the table.

Gildarts only laughed, but thankfully let it go. Cana didn’t want to explain her reasons, even as she turned the idea over in her mind. Learning to read the future... that sounded amazing. Being able to know when her father would be back from his long expeditions, and...

‘Maybe it can tell me if... I'll meet someone who’ll always stay with me,’ Cana thought, nibbling on her fork.

The cards didn’t give her an answer for that, no matter how skilled Cana became, even after she became an accredited master. But by then, she didn’t need to ask anymore. She already had someone she’d keep by her side, whether it was fate or not.

**End.**

~.~.~

 **Notes:** What a mess. Why is romance so hard and weird?

Originally, I wrote out this whole melodrama with everyone seeing a major disaster coming and how there’s a ritual that can change the course of fate, but Layla died doing it previously, blah blah, but then I wondered why I was bothering?? So instead I did some silly “just do whatever” stuff with no particular plot.

Association structure: (not that it matters)

\- Board of Regents, headed by the Chairman - equivalent to the Magic Council, with roughly the same membership.

\- Department heads - they lead the specific departments corresponding to common or powerful magic types or research fields.

\- Committees of regional representatives - though not specifically part of the Association, representatives can be sent from government bodies (such as a country, a region, a city, etc); they form committees to weigh in on matters of great importance to the future of magic or on magic relations.

Thank you for reading.

~.~.~


	6. Gray and Lyon, post-Tartaros

——————

post-Tartaros slight AU. Gray accompanies Wendy to Lamia Scale, and Lyon takes the chance to tell him something he needed to hear. 

~.~.~

They had gotten off easy, compared to what could have occurred, but the sudden emergence of the Face obelisks in the middle of Margaret Town had left the better part of the downtown district in ruins. The rubble that had rained down after Face’s destruction by the dragons had only added to the damage. Lamia Scale had been lucky to get off with just a hole in the roof of the guild hall. 

Cleanup efforts were proceeding as well as could be expected. Jura’s magic would have been a big help, but he had left immediately to help get the remnants of the Magic Council and Rune Knights under control with the other Wizard Saints. 

That left Lyon as the strongest active wizard in Lamia Scale and the most well-known one. Being in the spotlight was natural for him, and Lyon took pride in his deserved fame, but having the other wizards and the townspeople always looking to him, for answers and just for stability, was heavier than he had expected. 

He sighed, shoulders slumping a little, as he was finally able to duck out of sight for a moment. More than using his Ice Make to help clear the rubble, having to constantly put on a calm, reassuring facade in the face of everyone’s worries and troubles, day in and day out, wore on him. 

The sounds of approaching footsteps made him straighten quickly. Fortunately, it was only Yuka, shooting Lyon a sympathetic look. 

“Lyon-sama, please come to the guild hall as soon as possible,” Yuka said, after exchanging a nod in greeting. 

“The guild hall? Why? Did something happen?” Lyon asked, already moving back toward the main street. He waved and smiled absently to the passing townspeople who called out to him, but didn’t stop. If Yuka said, “as soon as possible,” there had to be a reason. 

Falling in half a step behind him, Yuka pursed his lips and admitted, “No... not exactly. We received some visitors... from Fairy Tail. And I think that if you wait too long, you might miss your chance.” 

The chance for what, he didn’t say. His expression was troubled, and perhaps he wasn’t sure himself. But Lyon trusted his old comrade’s instincts, and sped up his stride. 

~.~.~

Yuka had been right. One of their visitors was already trying to leave when they arrived — the one Lyon would have wanted to see the most. 

“You should at least stay the night,” Sherry was insisting, as they stepped into one of the guild hall’s backrooms. “We have spare beds set up here. You can head out in the morning...”

“No, there’s no point,” Gray said, a sharp edge to his tone. “I only came to make sure Wendy and Carla got here safely, so I’m going to head out.” 

“At least stay until Lyon gets here,” Sherry pressed, but if anything that seemed to make Gray more determined to leave. His jaw clenched, and he appeared about to protest. 

“I’m here,” Lyon cut in, nodding gratefully to Sherry, who sighed silently in relief as Gray’s attention turned to him. 

Gray looked away just as quickly, avoiding Lyon’s gaze. He didn’t seem to be injured, most likely healed by Wendy in the week or so since the Tartaros incident — but that was about the only good thing to say about his state. His posture was tense to the point of being brittle, and his expression was strained and shadowed. Even someone who didn’t know him well would have been able to tell that Gray was at the end of his rope, emotionally. 

“What happened?” Lyon asked, looking first at Gray and then, when it became obvious he wouldn’t answer, to Sherry. 

She hesitated, making something in Lyon’s gut clench. “Fairy Tail... has disbanded,” Sherry said finally. Her expression twisted sympathetically as Gray flinched a little. “Gray brought Wendy and Carla here because they’re going to stay with Sherria for a while, and maybe even join Lamia Scale.” She added, “Ah, they’ve already left. Wendy was... not doing well, so Sherria took her home.” 

“So I’m going to be leaving too,” Gray said flatly. “I only came because of them.” 

Lyon didn’t answer right away, instead just watching his junior student for a moment, while Sherry quietly slipped out the room. He didn’t believe Gray or his excuses. Gray was certainly kind and considerate of his guildmates, but there were probably any number of others who could have gone with the Sky Dragon girl. 

If Gray had come, it must have been because, on some level, he wanted to see Lyon — and even his half-hearted attempts to leave as quickly as possible meant that there was something he equally wanted from Lyon, yet was afraid to bring up. 

Fairy Tail was gone... It was hard to believe, but Lyon shoved aside his own confusion and uncertainty. What mattered was that Gray had just lost his family again, in a certain sense, and that meant... Lyon was the closest he had left. 

‘So that’s why,’ Lyon realized. He wanted to sigh — or reach out and embrace Gray because it just wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair for Gray to go through this three times. But no matter how hurt he was, Gray wouldn’t accept any comfort that easily. 

“Gray,” he said quietly, “what are you going to do now?” 

“...It’s got nothing to do with you,” Gray muttered. 

“So you don’t know,” Lyon surmised. “Then stay here, at least for a little while. If you don’t have a destination, anywhere is fine while you think, right?” 

“I’m not joining your guild!” Gray flared up suddenly, pinning Lyon with a sharp glare. 

“Of course not,” Lyon agreed, meeting his gaze without backing down — but also without attacking. “I’m not callous enough to suggest you replace your family so easily. I suppose I worded that incorrectly... Gray, stay with _me_ for a while.” 

Something about his words made Gray flinch again. It made Lyon suspect that there was something more to it than just the guild disbanding. Had something happened during the battles with Tartaros...? No, to begin with, why had Fairy Tail disbanded? Why did the members accept that? 

But Lyon couldn’t ask Gray that, not when he looked like he was about to break down or bolt at any moment. 

What was he scared of? What did he need to hear? Why had he wanted to see Lyon, but also wanted to avoid him? 

Lyon took a gamble. “I’m not going anywhere,” he said, firmly. “I won’t disappear, I promise.” 

“You...” Gray stared at him in shock, before breaking into a scowl. “L-like I care! Of course you’re not, you’re too annoying to get rid of that easily!” 

“Annoying? I think you mean I’m far too skilled,” Lyon said, keeping his tone light as he crossed his arms and tilted up his chin haughtily. 

Gray scoffed at their familiar insults, a fraction of the tension in his posture easing. It was enough that Lyon felt safe reaching out and clasping a hand over his shoulder — Gray didn’t try to shrug him off, perhaps even leaning into the touch a little. 

Neither of them brought it up again, but Gray silently followed Lyon home. He was out as soon as he hit the guest bed, in the heavy, motionless sleep of the truly exhausted. Coming to check on him later, Lyon watched Gray’s sleeping form for a long time with a sense of worry he couldn’t pin down. 

Yuka had thought he might miss his chance. Lyon only hoped he’d be able to figure out — his chance to do what? 

~.~.~

Once convinced to stay, Gray seemed to lose some of his urgency to leave. “I’m going to check on Wendy, to make sure she’s settling in okay,” he made an excuse at breakfast. 

“Let’s see if Sherria is at the guild today,” Lyon suggested. “If she took the day off, you should let them sort it out by themselves first. Sherria cares about your sky girl a lot, she won’t let her down.” 

“...Yeah,” Gray agreed. 

Sherria wasn’t at the guild, confirmed by Sherry to be taking the day off to stay with Wendy. “There isn’t anyone left who needs healing urgently,” Sherry added. “So it should be alright. I’m sure they’ll want to get to work soon, take her mind of things, but for now...” 

“It’s hard for Wendy,” Gray spoke up. “It’s not just... the guild. Grandine, the dragon who raised her, is gone now too. It turned out... the dragons could only appear for a short time as their last act. They’re all gone. It was just like with Cait Shelter, too.” 

Sherry covered her mouth in sympathy, while Gray’s expression darkened. The part about the dragons was new to Lyon, and he blurted out the next thing without thinking. 

“How is Salamander taking it?” he asked. “He was always going on about finding his dragon.” 

It was the wrong thing to mention. Gray scowled, bitter and miserable. “Who knows?” he said, his voice clipped. “Natsu took off before anyone could even talk to him. I don’t think he even knows about the guild. He barely left a note, said he was going to train. Lucy was in tears, that flame for brains idiot...” 

It absolutely wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair at all. 

Lyon forced himself to nod as if this was just some passing mention he didn’t care about. “Alright. Then let’s get to work,” he said, firmly dismissing the subject. “Just so you know, Gray — you’ll be working for food and lodging. No slacking off.” 

“As if I’d want your charity anyway,” Gray shot back. “Bring it on. I can pull my weight — and yours too, since you’re probably too busy showing off to do any real work.”

“Work for two? I’ll hold you to that,” Lyon said, smirking. 

If nothing else, the work took Gray’s mind off things, and his static Ice Make was certainly useful, perhaps even more so than Lyon’s dynamic animals. But it also gave Lyon time to realize something — they were being followed. Constantly, there was a shadow hanging in the background. 

Well, in all honestly, this matter was something Lyon had wondered about but didn’t want to chance Gray’s reaction by asking. Making sure Gray was occupied reinforcing the partially collapsed roof of an inn, Lyon slipped away from the worksite and circled around to behind their tail. 

“Juvia-chan,” he called out quietly. 

The girl, peeking out at Gray from behind a corner, flinched and froze in surprise. Slowly, she turned to look at Lyon, standing behind her. 

“L-Lyon-sama...” she muttered, cringing. 

“I thought it might be you, Juvia-chan,” Lyon said. “I was worried about where you had gone, if you weren’t with Gray... Is there a reason why you’re following him from afar? You could both use support right now. Wouldn’t it be better to be next to him?” 

To his alarm, Juvia’s eyes welled up with tears. “J-Juvia doesn’t have the right to be next to Gray-sama,” she cried. “J-Juvia did s-something terrible to Gray-sama! Juvia doesn’t have the right to love Gray-sama anymore!” 

“S-something terrible? To Gray?” Lyon repeated, his mind going blank as he tried to understand what she meant. But no, it had to be a misunderstanding. Juvia adored Gray, to Lyon’s frustration during the Grand Magic Games.

Juvia only shook her head, refusing to elaborate. Her shoulders heaved with barely suppressed sobs. 

“Juvia... If you think you’ve done something you need to apologize for, then tell Gray directly,” Lyon said. “Following him around like this won’t help either of you. Otherwise... you might miss your chance.” That seemed to finally convince her, as Juvia drew a sharp breath and stopped crying. “Come by my place after we’re done. You can apologize to Gray then... But I’m sure he’ll forgive you. He’s that kind of person.” 

He’d forgiven Lyon, after all, for nearly killing him and trying to revive his childhood nightmare. Whatever Juvia thought she had done couldn’t possibly match up to that. 

~.~.~

Catching sight of her waiting for them by the gates, late that evening, Gray stopped short, and his expression twisted in consternation. He only now realized that he'd forgotten about her, just assuming she'd gone with one of the other girls. Given Juvia's fixation on him, Gray should have known to check on her, and he mentally berated himself for letting himself act so self-centered and thoughtless. 

Lyon sighed, easily reading his train of thought. Reaching out, he clasped Gray’s shoulder and gave an encouraging squeeze before stepping away to give them some space. His eyes met Juvia’s for a moment, encouraging her too. 

“Juvia, are you alright?” Gray started. “Do you have a place to—”

“G-Gray-sama,” Juvia cut him off, her voice wavering. She drew a shaky breath and suddenly bowed deeply, as if baring her neck for an executioner’s blade. “Juvia is the one who killed that necromancer! It's because of Juvia that Gray-sama’s father...” 

Her words cut off in another sob. Gray had gone completely still, but Lyon couldn't imagine his expression or his reaction. What Juvia had said...

Necromancer? Gray’s father? 

What was she talking about? There was something terrible piecing together in the back of his mind, no matter how Lyon tried to deny it. It couldn’t be. That was too farfetched. Something like that... couldn’t actually happen... It couldn’t be that unfair— No, unfair wasn’t enough to even to cover it. This was just too much. 

Gray didn’t respond, only letting out a quiet, choked sound. 

“Juvia— Juvia doesn’t have the right to love Gray-sama anymore!” Juvia pressed on, her shoulders and her back shaking with sobs. “Please forgiven Juvia, Gray-sama!” 

That plea seemed to finally startle Gray into action. In a few angry steps, he closed the distance between them and hauled Juvia upright with a tight grip on her collar. “You...” Gray gritted out, trembling with heavy emotion. 

He looked ready to lash out, but Juvia didn’t flinch, only looking up at him with tears streaming down her cheeks. 

Finally, after a tense moment, Gray’s shoulders slumped and he lowered his head, the anger draining out of him. “...No,” he said quietly. “It’s not your fault. You don’t have anything to apologize for. ...Thank you. For...” 

“Gray-sama...” Juvia murmured, her expression brightening like dawn over the horizon. She smiled tentatively, looking ready to reach out for him as usual. 

Watching Gray’s weary back, Lyon frowned. 

“Juvia,” he called out, making his way back over to them, “you can stay at the guild tonight. Let’s talk more in the morning. It’s been a long day.” 

“Oh, but... Juvia would like to...” she began to protest. 

“It’s been a long day, Juvia-chan,” Lyon repeated, his smile strained. “Let’s talk tomorrow.” 

She departed unwillingly, glancing toward Gray all the while. But Gray remained silent and still, as if he didn’t even notice what was happening around him. Stepping up to him, Lyon carefully put a hand on his back and urged him toward the gates. 

“Let’s go inside,” he said quietly, although there was no response. As they stepped into the dark, empty house, Lyon asked, “Do you want to say anything about it?” 

“...No,” Gray muttered. He turned to look at Lyon rebelliously, as if daring him to try to drag the answers out of him. 

Lyon didn’t rise to the bait, though one eyebrow twitched a little at the challenge. Well, the childishness was better than nothing... “Okay,” he said evenly. Then, trying another angle, “Thank you, for being so kind to Juvia-chan. She needed to hear that.” 

“I know that,” Gray shot back irritably. “I’m not some kind of asshole, you know. I wouldn’t blame her for... It was my fault she had to in the first place.” The last part was added under his breath, and it took an effort of will for Lyon not to saying anything. “A-anyway, don’t act like you’ve got to look out for her. Juvia’s my comrade. ...Was my comrade...” 

‘It’s a minefield,’ Lyon thought, with mixed frustration and sadness. There were simply too many verbal mines to even attempt to navigate. What was he supposed to say? How could he even begin to help?

“Yes, yes, you’re a good boy,” Lyon said patronisingly, reaching out to ruffle Gray’s hair — earning a scowl in return. Letting his hand be knocked away, he settled it on Gray’s shoulder instead. His mocking smile slipped away slowly, and he said, in a more serious tone, “But I think you need to hear it too — you don’t have anything to apologize for. It wasn’t your fault.” 

Gray went completely still, but Lyon wasn’t surprised when he was violently pushed away in the next moment. “You—! You don’t even know what happened! You can’t tell me that!” Gray yelled. 

“I know you,” Lyon corrected him firmly. “I know it was a messed up, crazy situation — demons, dragons, the end of magic... necromancy. I know that no one has any right to heap expectation on you. I know you did everything you could...” 

“Shut up!” Gray shouted, but the anger in his voice was quickly giving way to misery. “Shut up... I didn’t... I couldn’t...” He trailed off, ducking his head. But it was clear that he was crying. 

Silently, Lyon guided him over to the couch and sat next to him, arm around Gray’s shoulders. He didn’t comment when, after a few moments, Gray leaned into him. Fine tremors shook his body as Lyon carefully rubbed Gray’s shoulder, pulling him a little closer. The only sound in the dark living room was his stifled sobs. 

“...‘m sorry... I’m sorry... I’m sorry...” Gray began to whisper, barely audible. 

“It’s not your fault,” Lyon repeated quietly. “No one blames you. It’s not your fault...” 

He wondered if Gray believed him — could believe Lyon, of all people. The words felt bitter in his mouth, when he had once shouted the exact opposite at Gray, blaming him for Ur’s death. ‘I should have said it before,’ Lyon realized, biting his cheek in consternation. ‘I should have said it after Galuna, at Oracion Seis. I should have swallowed my pride...’ 

Instead, he had settled for just falling into an easy, distant truce with Gray. During the Oracion Seis incident, after Tenrou, after the Grand Magic Games... he had plenty of chances, and he let them all pass by to maintain his pride and the status quo between them. 

“It’s not your fault,” Lyon repeated, his voice thick, and hoped Gray would believe him one day. 

He didn’t move, even for a long while after Gray fell silent and his breathing evened out in sleep, letting Gray’s warm weight rest against his side. 

~.~.~

Gray woke up on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. There was a crick in his neck and his eyes were crusted over with dried tears, but he felt at least a little better. Someone — Lyon — had taken off his boots and needlessly draped a thin blanket over him. 

It was still early, the morning light barely filtering through the windows. Turning over on his side, Gray pulled the blanket up over his chin and closed his eyes. The slightly rough wool sheet, the couch, the room all smelled like Lyon. Thinking that made Gray feel like Natsu — pushing down the small twinge in his chest at the reminder of his absent rival — but it was true. Lyon’s presence was everywhere around him, and he could just make out the quiet sounds of Lyon moving about in the kitchen. It was... grounding. Comforting, even. 

Lyon said he wasn’t going anywhere, that he wouldn’t disappear. Whether that was true... It didn’t matter if he was strong — Fairy Tail had been strong too, and Ur as well. But maybe it was alright to believe him, a little. After all, Lyon had already left once, after Brago. He had just come back afterwards. So maybe...

Sighing, Gray burrowed deeper into the cocoon of blanket and cushions. He wanted to rest a little longer, without thinking about anything. 

The next time he woke up, it was to Lyon shaking his shoulder gently. “Breakfast is ready,” Lyon said, stepping back as Gray sat up. “Wash up and come to the table.” 

“When did you become such a mother hen?” Gray grumbled, but he wasn’t stubborn or spiteful enough to deny that Lyon was right about the basics of hygiene. 

“Bathroom’s down the hall,” Lyon called back, making Gray grumble under his breath some more. 

Still, washing his face woke him up, and he felt a little more like himself when he made his way to the small kitchen table. Lyon had already set out the sparse meal, and they dug in without formality. “We should go to the guild today,” Lyon said to fill the silence, without expecting a response. “Wendy should be there, and Juvia-chan will be waiting too. You were pretty useful with the cleanup yesterday, so if you don’t have any other plans, we could use your help again...” 

“I’m going to Isvan,” Gray said, cutting off Lyon’s rambling. It was too abrupt, he realized, and he added awkwardly, “I need to go to Isvan... alone. There’s...” He trailed off, unsure how to put into words without explaining everything that he couldn’t bring himself to say. 

“I understand,” Lyon said calmly. “You should still stop by the guild first. But Sherria and I will look after Wendy and Carla, and I’ll talk to Juvia.” To keep her from trying to follow Gray, and about what she wanted to do in the future. 

That had been another weight on Gray’s mind, and he sighed in relief. “Thanks,” he said quietly. 

“Do you have any plans after that?” Lyon asked, though he could already guess the answer. “If not, you should come back—” ‘here,’ he was going to say, but what if that made Gray think Lyon was pressing him to join Lamia Scale again? Trying to hide the pause, Lyon blurted out without thinking, “—to me.” 

‘You should come back to me.’

...That wasn’t quite right either. He hadn’t intended to say that. 

The words seemed to echo between them as Gray and Lyon stared at each other with stunned and increasingly blank expressions. A red blush was spreading across Gray’s cheeks, and Lyon could feel himself flushing as well.

“My house!” he blurted out, jumping to his feet. “I meant you should come back here, to my house! You can stay here until you decide what to do. That’s all!” 

“R-right! I-I’ll do that!” Gray agreed quickly, looking somewhere far to the side of Lyon. 

“Good! Good,” Lyon said firmly. To avoid any further conversation, he started gathering up the dishes — luckily, they had already been almost done, and Gray too busied himself finishing off his food, gaze squarely on his plate. The awkward silence followed Lyon as he fled to the sink, interrupted only by the clinking of plates and utensils. 

Finally, Gray crept up hesitantly with his plate. But even after slipping it into the sink, he lingered uncertainly at the edge of the kitchen. 

“Um... Lyon,” he called out. “Thanks. I mean it.” 

Glancing over his shoulder, Lyon smiled at him. “No problem,” he said lightly. Turning away to dry off his hands, he added quietly, to himself, “I’m the one who should be thanking you.” 

“Huh? For what?” Gray wondered, overhearing. 

How could he even begin to answer? For setting him straight at Galuna and for forgiving him when Gray had every right to be angry, for giving him the push to become who he was now, for letting him become his comrade, his friend, his family again — for everything. 

Lyon only shook his head, still smiling. “I’ll tell you when you get back,” he said. 

It was alright, to wait a little longer. Gray would come back once he was ready, and Lyon would be there, as long as he needed a place to return to. They had another chance, and they wouldn’t waste it. Neither of them would have to be alone, as long as they had this — their small family that had been torn apart and put back together again. 

~.~.~

_It’s so warm, these feelings..._

~.~.~


	7. Time travel during Eclipse

**Notes:** I don’t care. I’m doing what I want. And what I want is timetravel about Gray. And Ultear. And those other guys I guess. (So maybe I’m totally misusing Last Ages and Fairy Heart. Whatever, I don’t even care anymore.) 

~.~.~

‘Ul… Ul… What should I do, Ul?’

It had been going on like that for a while.

By necessity, every member of Crime Sorciere had learned telepathy. By equal necessity, they had also gotten very good at ignoring incoming telepathic messages, like the mental equivalent of plugging their ears – though, as Jellal found out when he tried that during his match on the first day of the games, there were ways around it, if one got creative enough.

Deep in her spiral of self-doubt and recrimination – she had almost killed an innocent kid who had done nothing wrong, her first response to everything was still cold-blooded murder, she was a terrible person no matter how much she tried to atone for her sins – Ultear had refused to respond to Jellal’s uncertain questions or Meldy’s worried calls.

But even so, she couldn’t entirely tune out the plaintive begging that began to echo back to her. Gritting her teeth, Ultear thought but didn’t send, ‘You’re an adult now, Meldy. You have to make your own choices.’ Especially if Ultear went through with that spell, she would not be able to help Meldy any further.

‘Ul, what do I do? Gray is… Gray is…’

That… got through.

‘What,’ Ultear thought flatly, pulled out of her brooding daze. Instinctively, she turned toward where she sensed Meldy’s location. They had ended up a ways’ apart, but at the very least, it didn’t look like any of the dragons were nearby. So, surely, Meldy could handle herself.

A giant spire of ice erupted from among the buildings, followed by another and another. Someone in that direction was throwing around wild ice magic with no sense of control or restraint – with desperation.

Ultear took off at a headlong run.

‘Meldy!’ she called mentally. ‘Meldy, what’s going on?’

The only response was a quiet wail and another ice spell that shook the Crocus streets, tall enough to reach over the rooftops.

Skidding around a corner, Ultear caught sight of pink and red, both marred by dust and mud, and put on a final burst of speed. Meldy’s back was to her, and her shoulders were trembling. Across from her, Juvia was folded in on herself, her entire body shaking with thick sobs, her hands wrapped around another, larger one in a white-knuckled grip. And between them– between them was someone lying there, motionless.

Out of the corner of her eye, Ultear could see a flash of white – Lyon’s pale hair – and another reckless wave of ice tearing through the dragonling horde further down the street. That left only one person…

Confronted with a shocking, brutal loss, Meldy cried, Lyon raged, and Juvia collapsed in on herself. But Ultear wasn’t like them. She had been the top officer of a powerful dark guild. She had helped wipe out cities. She had caused deaths bloody than the one before her.

Closing the distance and finally seeing the destroyed body lying between the girls, Ultear didn’t freeze in shock or heave in disgust. She only clenched her teeth and swore under her breath. Her reaction was cold, furious, and decisive.

Her breath hitching, Meldy turned to look at her over her shoulder. “What do we do, Ul?” she wondered piteously.

“We fix this,” Ultear snarled, dropping on her knees next to Meldy – and next to Gray. “He can’t die. I won’t allow it!”

Ultear was a dark wizard, a person who rejected the world and twisted the fabric of time and space according to her will and wishes. Although she didn’t know it, in some key ways, Ultear was very much like the Black Wizard himself. When confronted with loss, acceptance didn’t even begin to figure in either of their reactions – no, it was straight into rewriting reality.

She wouldn’t accept this. So all she needed to do was make it so it never happened. It didn’t matter if Ark of Time couldn’t affect humans. It didn’t matter if magic wasn’t supposed to bring back a lost life. Ultear would overturn those limitations.

For the sake of the world and stopping the dragons’ appearance, Ultear had hesitated to use Last Ages, wavering back and forth within herself. She had been afraid, even as she had drowned in guilt and desire for repentance. But if it was for Gray’s sake – Gray who had given her a second chance – she’d gladly sacrifice her time, her life, and reality itself.

“Ul, what- what are you doing?” Meldy stammered, as a powerful magic surged around Ultear and reached toward the sky.

Gritting her teeth against the sharp, stinging pain that spread through her body as the spell began, Ultear didn’t answer, only reaching out to touch Gray’s body with an out of place gentleness.

In the distance but growing closer, a dragon roared. Others across the city answered, drawn by the sudden wave of magic, and began to circle closer. They weren’t the only ones to notice. Unseen and unnoticed, the small, pale figure of Fairy Tail’s first master alighted on a broken roof over the street. For a moment, Mavis watched the spell curling around Ultear expressionlessly, then lifted her gaze to look across the devastated, smoking landscape.

She seemed to see something, and come to a decision. Dress and long hair fluttering soundlessly, she alighted off the roof.

“Ul!” Meldy called out frantically, reaching to grab hold of Ultear’s shoulder, but Ultear didn’t respond.  

Across from them, Juvia finally raised her head, tears still flowing down her cheeks as she watched with barely a hint of comprehension.

Down the street, Lyon glanced back toward them. Solid walls of ice blocked off the remaining dragonling hoard, but throwing around that much magic that recklessly had taken its toll. His breath was coming short and sharp, and sweat plasters his bangs to his face. Another roar, coming closer, made him flinch and instinctively back away.

“We have to move–” he began to say, running toward the group still kneeling around– he couldn’t think about that now. Ultear’s presence barely registered, her sudden appearance drowned out by the greater shock of what had just occurred. “We have to go,” Lyon repeated. “You can’t do anything, it’s… it went through his skull, even Sherria can’t help. We have to–”

To begin with, Ultear had no intention of listening to him. But a startled gasp from Juvia cut Lyon off. She was staring at the seemingly empty space beside her. Quietly, she murmured, “First Master…?”

Unseen by the others, Mavis had touched down next to Juvia, an unreadable expression on her face. “At this rate, everything will be lost,” Mavis said quietly. “The dragons can’t be defeated, my guild’s children are dying, and the great shadow will soon draw near. If we don’t do something, we will lose our future. That’s why…”

She reached out and laid one hand over Ultear’s.

Ultear’s eyes widened as the first master’s figure shimmered into view in front of her – despite her lack of a Fairy Tail guild mark. “What…?” she murmured, almost faltering in Last Ages’ activation sequence.

“What are you doing? We have to go!” Lyon, unable to see Mavis, insisted. Reaching the others, he couldn’t stop his gaze from sliding away, even as he reached out to grasp Ultear’s other shoulder.

“That’s why I will help you. Even if the Third doesn’t want to see this power to be unleashed, I will help you,” Mavis said. “Use this power and change the course of the future. Use it and write a new history for everyone!”

It was like reaching out and grasping the sun. A connection was made – magic power surged through Ultear, too powerful for words and burning from the inside as the price of Last Ages was carved into her skin. It hurt, more than Ultear had imagined possible. But with this… she just might have enough. What mattered to her didn’t matter – as long as it worked.

“Last… Ages!”

Brilliant, blinding light swept out, over the street, over the city, and beyond. Everything was engulfed and came to a stop. The wizards and dragons, the explosions and the flying rubble, everything halted for an endless moment.

A sharp pulse tingled through Ultear and Mavis, their joined hands, through Meldy and Lyon, gripping Ultear tightly, through Juvia, still clutching Gray’s hand – and through Gray’s body. The blood flaked away, and strangely so did the wounds, returning him to his previous state.

“Gray-sama…” Juvia murmured, tears sliding down her cheeks. But as they fell, they slowed and stopped, hovering in mid air.

“What… what in the world…?” Lyon muttered, glancing helplessly between Gray and the stopped, softly glowing scenery around them.

“…Ul?” Meldy called out worriedly.

Ultear had gritted her teeth, her eyes screwed shut as magic pulsed across her skin. “I have to… lock it down,” she managed. “Time is in flux, I have to pin it down, or we’ll be lost–!”

She tried to grasp the power Mavis was linking her to and use it to pull them back into normal time. She just had to make sure it was before things went wrong…

But it was too much. That shining light was too vast, even for Ultear. The endless plane of time was too wide. The spell slipped through her grasp. The stopped world around them crumbled and vanished into blank whiteness, and they began to fall.

Up, sideways, down, there was no longer a sense of direction or orientation. ‘At this rate, we’ll be lost in the timestream!’ Ultear thought frantically. But there was nothing she could do, except pray that they would be forced out before they were torn apart – and that the time where they ended up was not before they were even born.

“No…” Mavis gritted out, still gripping Ultear’s hand. “I won’t let that happen. There… There’s a waypoint–”

There was a sharp pull, and they were torn apart.

~.~.~

Gray came to with a sharp gasp. Startled and confused, he let go without thinking. It was only in the next moment that he realized that he had been holding Lucy’s hand.

On his other side, Juvia gasped too and stared at him in shock and dawning relief. Her grip on his hand only tightened, clinging painfully. But she had let go too – of Lisanna.

For an instance, Gray caught a glimpse of the guild, holding hands together in a circle – Lucy, Natsu, Erza, Cana, Gildarts, Levy, Gajeel, Wendy, the Exceeds, Makarov, Laxus and his team, the Strauss siblings. He recognized this group, this setup. ‘This is… Tenrou?!’ Gray realized.

This was the moment when they inadvertently activated Fairy Sphere with Mavis’s help. But Gray and Juvia had broken the circle and unintentionally withdrawn from the spell. In the next moment, a great forced shoved them away. Tenrou, its cliffs and its great tree disappeared in front of their eyes – leaving Gray and Juvia to plummet toward the suddenly empty sea below.

Overhead, the black dragon Acnologia opened its maw and roared. A spell far beyond what the combined slayers of their guild could hope to achieve bore down on the place where Tenrou had been.

Macao and the others had said that Acnologia’s attack had been strong enough to destroy the entire island, according to the Rune Knights’ report. The island was safe in Fairy Sphere, but Gray and Juvia were outside now, even if he didn’t know how or why. Hadn’t they just been in Crocus…? What was happening?

Gray was too disoriented to react, but fortunately he was not alone. Even if she didn’t understand either, Juvia knew the most important thing – Gray was alive and right in front of her, and this time she would be the one to protect him.

“Gray-sama!!” Reaching out, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into herself.  It was the same technique she had used at Akane Resort, to hide Gray from Simon, which would temporarily let her pass her Water Body’s protection onto him.

They hit the sea just as the light and pressure of Acnologia’s attack bore down at their backs. Merging with the waves, Juvia flowed through the currents – desperate to put as much distance as she could between them and the location of the island in the scant seconds they had before Acnologia’s blast hit.

The spiraling beam of Acnologia’s roar tore into the water, drilling down all the way to the seafloor. Where Tenrou had stood, only a gaping hole of ravaged stone remained. The waters around the gap stood for a moment before crashing back down to seal the breach.

Acnologia did not even roar in triumph. This had not been a battle. Circling the area one last time, the black dragon rose with a flap of its massive wings and flew away.

Gray broke the still-frothing surface of the water, gasping and coughing. “Juvia! Juvia!” he called out, glancing around frantically. He didn’t know how far they had managed to get from the blast. Had she been hit, even as water?

Taking a deep breath, he dove under the waves. A flash of pale skin under torn clothing – reaching out, Gray grabbed Juvia’s hand. It was only half-solid, wavering between states as if Juvia couldn’t return to her human form fully. Had she taken that much damage? Or had the magic of the Apocalypse Dragon done something else to her?

Gritting his teeth, Gray tightened his grip and pulled her unresponsive body with him to the surface.

The battered Rune Knights’ ship was still visible in the distance, its torn sails fluttering in the wind. “Tch,” Gray clicked his tongue in annoyance, suspecting they were too far to call out to. Maneuvering around Juvia, he placed his hands together, and an iceberg slowly formed beneath them, lifting them out of the water and rising up as a clear landmark.

He let out a shaky breath as the iceberg stabilized and carefully laid Juvia out on the cold surface. Parts of her body were still shimmering, occasionally turning transparent and watery, and even though he didn’t know if it would help, Gray kept a tight grip on her hand.

At least they were safe for now, and the Rune Knights would hopefully notice and come pick them up soon.

“But what the hell happened?” Gray swore under his breath. “We were just in Crocus, but now we’re…”

“At Tenrou, on December 16, X784.”

With a startled yelp, Gray spun around – to find Mavis kneeling next to him, her expression intent as she studied his face. Slowly, she smiled and reached out to pet Gray on the head.

“You’re alright. That’s good. I’m glad it worked, even if not quite how we intended,” Mavis said. “Now, we can save the future too.”

“What happened?” Gray repeated. “First, the last thing I remember…”

“You died,” Mavis confirmed. She went on, giving Gray only a moment to adjust to that thought. “Ultear used a spell that could turn back time. But I don’t think she could have completed it on her own. I tried to let her use some of the power in… ah, we hadn’t told all of you about that yet… Well, I lent her some magic. The end result led us to be sent here, to the moment when I last used that magic, to help you activate Fairy Heart.”

“A spell that can turn back time?” Gray repeated, half disbelieving but mostly just stunned. He shook his head slowly. “Al-alright. But what about Ultear? Is she okay? Something like that…”

Pursing her lips, Mavis admitted, “I don’t know. I don’t know what the effects of her magic are. The Rune Knights are coming, so let’s get back to the guild first. Then, we can decide what to do.”

Gray still had questions – he had nothing but questions. But Mavis was right. The Rune Knights’ ship had turned around and was making its way toward them. It wouldn’t help if he started talking to thin air where they could see.

At the very least, they were safe for now, him and Juvia, and even the others on Tenrou. Ultear and Mavis had bought them that time. He just hoped the cost hadn’t been too great.

~.~.~

“You’re sure? Everyone is alright?” Macao repeated, scratching absently at his stubble as his brow furrowed in worry.

“Yes,” Gray said. “They’re just… stuck. We tried to use Fairy Sphere, but we made a mistake. So I think it’ll take some time to deactivate. But they’re alright.”

That was the same thing he’d told the Rune Knights. It was even true, though leaving out Mavis’s involvement and more detailed than Gray had known back when he’d been on Tenrou in the first place.

“And you and Juvia?” Macao asked.

“We… messed up,” Gray said, shrugging awkwardly. “We ended up slipping out of Fairy Sphere as it activated.”  

“That’s not what I’m asking,” Macao sighed. “I’m asking if you’re alright.”

“Oh,” Gray blinked in surprise. He had been so set on answering any suspicions and covering up the impossible events that actually took place that he hadn’t considered that his guild wouldn’t care too much about the how and why. “Yes, we’re okay. Polyushka looked over Juvia too. She’s just exhausted. She used up all her magic shielding me.”

“Well, that’s good then,” Macao said. “…Do you know…? Well, I guess you wouldn’t know, if it was a mistake to start with, but how long do you think it might take for everyone else to get back?”

Gray pursed his lips. He did know – it would take seven years. “It… might be a long time,” he said finally. “Maybe even years. They’ll be back, but… we should focus on taking care of the guild until then.”

Sighing, Macao nodded. “I guess, you’re right,” he started to say. “Makarov left me in charge while–”

A commotion outside the guild master’s office, where they had retreated to talk, made him trail off. A moment later, the door burst open.

“…Lyon?” Gray exclaimed in surprise.

“Gray,” Lyon said, his severe expression relaxing marginally with relief, before he grew serious again. “We need to talk.”

If this was about what he thought… Gray nodded. “Macao,” he said. “Sorry, but could you give us a moment?”

“Yeah, it’s fine,” Macao said. As he passed Gray on his way to the door, he clapped a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll let update the rest of the guild.” To Lyon he added, with a wry smile, “I don’t know how you got here so fast, but it’s good to know that Gary’s got such a reliable friend.”

Lyon barely hid the slight twitch of his expression at that. Macao was right, and Lyon shouldn’t have known anything about Tenrou yet. He just hoped no one caught on to the discrepancy, or was willing to believe he’d just “had a bad feeling” – one that made him rush across half of Fiore to check on Gray. Though, given that they were both wizards, having a premonition like that wasn’t out of the question.

When the door clicked shut behind Macao, he let out a heavy sigh. “My guild must think something’s wrong with my head,” he muttered.

“I kind of think something’s wrong with all our heads,” Gray said frankly. “I mean… is this really happening? Time travel?”

Lyon shrugged. “That’s what it looks like. Ultear… did something,” he said. “But… I’m glad she did. I’m glad you’re alright.”

“But is she alright too?” Gray wondered, edging away from the topic of his own fate uncomfortably. “Did she make it back? And Meldy was there too… What about her?” He frowned, trying to think back. “They left Tenrou a while before Acnologia attacked. But I don’t know where they went, or how to get in touch with them.”

“So you’ll have to wait for them to get in touch with you,” Lyon said reasonably.

There wasn’t anything Gray could respond to that.

“By the way,” Lyon said, “about Juvia-chan…”

~.~.~

Juvia woke up a few days later and immediately latched on to the person sitting next to her bed. She clung like that for exactly 7.7 seconds, before finally realizing that this person was not, in fact, her precious Gray-sama.

With a startled shriek, she shoved Lyon away hard enough to send him flying into the opposite wall. “J-Juvia-chan…” he stammered, twitching, and slid slowly to the floor.

“Ah, Lyon-sama! Juvia is sorry!” she said, realizing what she’d done.

“It’s… fine,” Lyon muttered, shaking his head to clear it. “More importantly, how are you feeling?”

“Juvia is fine, a bit tired, that’s all…” Juvia began to answer, before her eyes widened suddenly. “Gray-sama! What happened to Gray-sama?! Juvia thought… Juvia was holding Gray-sama, right? Juvia took Gray-sama into herself because… because…” She trailed off, frowning uncertainly.

“Um, right,” Lyon said. “Gray is fine. Ultear… well, I don’t really understand it, but somehow we’re seven years in the past. You two ended up getting kicked out of your guild’s defensive spell on Tenrou, but you saved Gray from the black dragon. He’s alright.”

“That’s good… Juvia is so glad,” Juvia murmured. Her hands twisted in her lap. “But, Gray-sama… Juvia wants to see Gray-sama. It’s not that Juvia doesn’t believe Lyon-sama, but…”

“I understand,” Lyon said, and he really did. Gray hadn’t said anything, but he must have noticed Lyon’s constant glances in his directions and the way he would sometimes end up staring without meaning to. It was just… hard to believe. But good, more than good. “He was summoned by the Magic Council to provide testimony about everything on Tenrou. He should be back today, so you’ll see him soon.”

Juvia’s smile was breath-taking. There was a loud thud as Lyon toppled to the floor, his face red and steaming.

~.~.~

Trudging through Magnolia’s dark streets, Gray sighed wearily and ran a hand over his face. The Magic Council’s endless questions had been tiring – everything about Grimoire Heart, about Acnologia’s appearance, and even the digs at Fairy Tail itself, never quite implying that the guild had brought this on itself, but coming close. They had kept him nearly for twelve hours straight, without accomplishing anything.

Lahar and Doranbolt’s heavy guilt and apologies had been tiring in another way. Maybe it was paranoia, but Gray constantly worried that they would notice something off about his reaction. Had he come across as too detached and unconcerned? Did they suspect that he knew something he wasn’t telling them?

Of course, no one was going to guess “time travel” right off the bat, but Gray was uncomfortably aware that both Ultear’s Ark of Time and whatever Mavis had done to help were probably… less than legal. Ultear, he still hadn’t heard from, but if the Magic Council decided to investigate Fairy Tail – well, Gray actually didn’t have anything to tell them, since Mavis hadn’t explained anything else since her initial appearance.

But still, he felt guilty and jumpy on principle.

That was why Gray was more aware than ever that someone was watching him. He wasn’t imagining it – he could feel their eyes on his back. It was a feeling he’d experienced plenty in the last few days, from Lyon.

The streets were almost empty so late at night, which was probably for the best, if it came down to a confrontation. Coming to a stop, Gray took a deep breath and spun around to pin the shadowy figure watching him with a sharp glare.

  
“You want something?” he growled, hands edging together and magic gathering.

Now that he was looking at them, Gray saw that there were two figures – and, making out their features, felt a flash of embarrassment for his own reaction.

It was just an old woman and a girl standing there. The old woman began to chuckle, unintimidated, and while the girl’s expression was hidden by the hood of her red cloak, her mouth was twitching in something that was probably amusement at his expense.

Feeling his cheeks and the back of his neck burn in embarrassment, Gray straightened quickly and cleared his throat. “S-sorry about that,” he muttered awkwardly. “I was just… um…”

“It’s quite alright,” the old woman said, a mirthful smile still on her lips. “I’m sorry for staring.”

She didn’t stop watching him, though. Fond and glad – it was a familiar expression, and Gray felt an uneasy inkling begin to form in the back his mind.

“We’ll be going now, and you should go home too. I’m sure there’s people waiting for you,” the old woman went on, turning to go. The girl glanced at her uncertainly, biting her lip, but remained silent as she moved to follow.

It was stupid. There was absolutely no proof. It was just intuition.

“You… you can’t just walk off! Ultear!” Gray protested without thinking.

The old woman stopped and said mildly, without turning, “Oh? I think you have the wrong person, young man.”

It was a good attempt. But it was rather undermined by the thumbs up her companion – Meldy, pink hair peeking out from under her hood – gave him, after a moment of hesitation. When Ultear, and it was definitely her, turned a scolding look on Meldy, she shrugged rebelliously.

“If it was me… I’d want to know,” Meldy muttered, crossing her arms and looking away. “It’s not fair to just go off without saying anything, Ul.” She suspected, rightly, that if they hadn’t been together when they were dumped out in the past, Ultear would have snuck off without letting Meldy know what had happened at all.

Ultear sighed. “Don’t you understand? It’s because I don’t want to burden you. You should live your own lives, without worrying about me. I have no regrets now.” She said it pointedly, looking directly at Gray.

“What happened to you? What did you do?” Gray demanded plaintively. “The first master said she tried to help, but you still…”

“The first master? Was that who she was?” Ultear mused. She seemed entirely unconcerned, still smiling. “I’m sure she did help. I didn’t realize until I used it, just how much Last Ages takes. Without her help, I might not have succeeded in activating it at all – or been unable to go back far enough.” She laughed lightly. “I realized in that moment just how little my life is worth. It wouldn’t have been enough to change anything.”

“Ul! No!”

“Don’t say that!”

Ultear blinked in surprise, taken aback by Gray and Meldy’s vehement protests.

“Your life is precious! It’s priceless!” Gray insisted. “You saved me! Because of me… now you’re… just like Ur…”

Alarmingly, tears welled up in his eyes and tried to swallow a sob. The sight made Ultear flounder for a moment – she had become rather used to Gray always being determined and undauntable, no matter what the circumstances.

“It’s- it’s not like that!” she insisted quickly, seeing where this was going – the spiral of self-blame. “It’s not just because of you! I was already planning to use Last Ages to try to reverse time to before the gate had been opened. But I probably wouldn’t have been able to succeed… so it’s lucky that your guild master chose to help me. This is the best outcome we could have hoped for. Now, you have seven years to avert that disaster.” Moving closer and putting a hand on Gray’s arm, she repeated, “I have no regrets.”

She rubbed his back comfortingly as Gray covered his face and ducked his head, shoulders shaking. “It’s not right… why did you have to…” he muttered unintelligibly under his breath.

“It’s alright, it’s alright,” Ultear tried to reassure him. “I don’t mind, as long as you’re all safe. You, and Meldy, and Lyon too. Rather than chasing some impossible ideal, I think I can be happy just knowing that.” And because she saw a chance, while both of them were still reeling, she quickly slid in a point she knew they’d both argue against. “That’s why… I’d like Meldy to go with you.”

“What? Ul, no! I’m staying with you!” Meldy protested immediately.

Ultear shook her head. “Right now, there’s no record of you as a criminal. Your identity as one of the Kin remained hidden,” she said. “Use this chance to start over and live a life in the light. I want you to be happy, Meldy. Please do this for me. Fairy Tail is a good guild. You’ll be with your friend and with Gray. And they’ll need your help while everyone else is at Tenrou.”

It was enough to make Meldy hesitate. “But, Ul…” she trailed, uncertain what else to say. After all, it wasn’t like Ultear was going to be doing something without her. Her body was old now, and her magic was all but gone too. At most, she could look forward to a quiet retirement.

Knowing she had all but won, Ultear smiled. “Look after her for me. Alright, Gray?” she said, sealing the deal.

“…No.”

Both Ultear and Meldy turned to stare at him in surprise. Neither had expected that response, not from Gray and not about Fairy Tail. Even Meldy, still uncertain about whether she even wanted to join, made a face, feeling a bit stung by the refusal.

Or rather, the apparent refusal. In actuality, Gray hadn’t been responding to Ultear. His mind had been on something else entirely.

“I refuse!” he burst out, spinning around to glare at Ultear. “I couldn’t do anything to help Ur, but I refuse to just give up on you! I swear – I’ll find a way to help you!”

“…Gray,” Ultear sighed. “You can’t do anything. The price has already been paid. I’m fine, really.”

“No,” Gray repeated, crossing his arms stubbornly. “I’ll find some way to reverse it – we’ll find a way.” Behind Ultear’s back, Meldy gave him a double thumbs up.

“It’s not possible,” Ultear said.

“That’s what you said about beating Hades,” Gray shot back.

For a long moment, they tried to stare each other down. Finally, Ultear sighed. “Do as you will,” she said. “You always do anyway.”

It was a bit annoying, that Gray didn’t even have the decency to gloat. Well, it wasn’t like she hated it, exactly. If only to herself, Ultear could admit some enjoyment from the concern and worry she was receiving. It wasn’t nice, and it was selfish – but every bit was proof of how much they cared.

When you got down to it, Ultear was a dark wizard. “Selfish” was her nature. Selfish enough to go against all logic, the course of nature, and even the space-time continuum, if that was what it took.

Incidentally, another word for that was love.

Trying to use Fairy Heart had been a gamble. She hadn’t even known if it would work. But looking down at the trio making their way to the guild, and the pair waiting for them there, Mavis thought it had been a gamble worth taking.

This time, they would protect the future. The would write a new history, full of light.


	8. ch 499 humor omake

**Notes:** Just whatever. 

——

Playing dead was surprisingly difficult.

‘Juvia can’t take it anymore! So… itchy… Juvia is going to sneeze…!’ a certain water mage wailed mentally, face down in the dirt. Her nose twitched, her face scrunched up in concentration as she struggled to stay still.

‘Hurry up and go, you bondage fetish jackass!’ a certain ice mage thought far more vehemently, also face down on the ground. He had far more experience acting unconscious, at least, from years of trying to avoid more beatings from Erza. ‘Urgh, I think a rock’s digging into my kidneys…’

Playing dead and pretending to bleed out after a dramatic double suicide was much harder than expected. This was, in retrospect, perhaps not the best plan, even if both of them had come up with it simultaneously. Actually, the fact that two members of Fairy Tail, the guild infamous for its lack of common sense, had thought this was a good plan was probably proof that it was the opposite.

Juvia’s shoulders hitched, but she just barely managed to turn her sneeze into a rattling, wet cough and went still. That had to do it, right? He’d have to buy it now.

There was a long, tense moment as Invel stared down at them. Then, with one last sneer, he turned around and swept away, his coat flaring dramatically behind him. The chain he had created, linking them together, finally crumbled.

“Pwah!” Gray gasped, the moment Invel was out of earshot. Holding his breath that long had started to hurt. “I thought he’d never leave…”

“Ha-choo! Ha-choo!” Juvia sneezed, several times in quick succession. There was a smear of dirt across her nose as she sniffled. “Juvia never wants to do that again!”

“Yeah… Good job with the fake blood,” Gray said, swiping some of the dark substance — already turning clear again — off his abs, “but why didn’t you just turn to water and slip out of the collar?”

Juvia pouted. “Why didn’t Gray-sama eat it, if it’s made out of ice?” she shot back sulkily.

“Well… it tastes gross,” Gray muttered. “I mean… his magic’s just so disgusting…”

“Well, Juvia maybe… kind of…” Juvia mumbled almost inaudibly, “…liked… chain… to Gray-sama….”

“What?”

“Nothing! Juvia just panicked!”

Gray stared at her dubiously for a moment, but ultimately could only shrug. It had worked out in the end, and that was all that mattered.

“Alright,” he declared, climbing to his feet, “it’s time for round two, and this time, we won’t get caught off guard like that! We’ll teach this guy not to mess with Fairy Tail!”

‘Call my Ice Make toys, will you?’

‘Put Gray-sama in a collar, will you?’

The smiles that spread across their faces were more bloodthirsty than any demon or evil god.

—Making his way toward where Brandish had gone, Invel sneezed.

“Impossible,” he muttered. “I’m the purest of all ice mages. I am immune to cold. Someone must be talking about me.” His eyes narrowed. “It’s probably that lout Ajeel.”

However, that didn’t explain the shiver that crawled down his spine. It was premonition — of an asskicking.

~.~.~


	9. Femslash exchange 2016, Erlu Izetta AU

**Title:** HeartRed

 

 **Notes:** Here is my entry for the FT Femslash exchange! My giftee is @ [ ahumanintraining](http://ahumanintraining.tumblr.com/).

 

I was lazy and went for a simple ripoff. The premise is an Izetta AU for Erlu. The parts are not entirely chronological, but I hope you’ll be able to follow their flow easily enough.The title is meant to sound a bit like “heartlet.” If you squint and say it with an engrish accent.

 

As a disclaimer, I’m terrible at history and military and strategy, so please excuse the amateurish nature of those aspects.

 

~.~.~

 

**Part 1: Heartsick (The war)**

 

For months now, with every tense meeting, the red markers of enemy troops had been steadily advancing across the large map spread out across the table. Their latest positions painted a truly grim picture, just like the faces of those gathered around the table.

 

No one needed to say what was obvious — the war was not going well for the tiny principality of Veronica.

 

“In the current conditions, Dragnof forces will reach Lattea River and the Celes Corridor within a few weeks at most,” Loke said, reaching out to tap at the place where a smaller river flowed into Veronica’s main waterway. Following the course of the main river down the wide valley that comprised the country’s heartlands, he added, “From there, they will have a straight shot here, to the capital.”

 

Lucy’s hands, clasped together in her lap, tightened until her fingers turned white, but she struggled to keep her expression calm. This was nothing new or unexpected. From the start, they had known that their tiny country would not be able to withstand an invasion from the military juggernaut that was the new Dragnof Empire.

 

Stroking his thick mustache absently, General Crux made a quiet noise of frustration. “And based on this, Lady Erza’s magic will not work in the corridor,” he noted, glancing at the smaller map that had been laid out over an empty mountain range.

 

Rather than marking the cities and roads, it was instead crisscrossed by thick and thin bands of color — leylines, where Erza could draw on the flow of natural energy to use what could only be called “magic.”

 

“When people settle or pass through an area often, it thins the leylines,” Lucy said quietly. “That’s what Erza told me.”

 

The Celes Corridor was the most populous region of Veronica, as well as the location of their economic and population centers. In some ways, that made it also the furthest from nature.

 

“We need to begin preparations, if we still intent to proceed with the national redoubt strategy,” Loke went on, with the same unshakable calm that had made him such an effective aide to the previous Archduchess, Lucy’s mother Layla. “We need to begin evacuating key personnel now, and setting up the last of the fortifications.”

 

General Crux sighed. “It is the best strategy in our records, but still,” he mused, “ceding the corridor to the enemy and  retreating to the mountains goes against my instincts and pride as a member of the military — as a citizen of Veronica.”

 

“But if we oppose the Dragnof forces in the corridor, it’ll be a bloodbath,” Lucy said quietly. “We won’t be able to stop their advance in the open, without the advantage of terrain like in the mountains, and we can’t evacuate all the civilians. That’s why the strategy to retreat to the mountains and continue a long-term sabotage conflict from there was created, right?”

 

“As you say, Archduchess,” General Crux agreed. He already knew what she was saying, given that he had been the one to present the records of the strategy to begin with. That didn’t make it easier to accept, however. “I hope it holds out. It was drafted over a century ago, after all, before the advent of much modern technology. The old castle and the mountain strongholds were built to withstand sieges, not bombing. I wish I could do more to update it for the current era, but I have only ever been able to study the workings of brilliant strategic minds, not imitate them.”

 

Lucy nodded. She didn’t blame him. Crux had been a military historian before being hastily made the general of Veronica’s mostly volunteer army — militia, really. He was the closest to a military mind they had, but he was still someone who had lived in a time of peace. They all were.

 

“Your decision, Archduchess?” Loke pressed. “If we are to cede the Celes Corridor, we must commit now. Or, if we are to pursue another course of action, we must begin now as well.”

 

“You said that we have a few weeks if things continue as they are,” Lucy said, finally raising her eyes from the map and its dire message. “How likely are things to change? What about our neighbors? Or other nations?”

 

Pushing up his glasses, the glint of the lenses hiding his expression, Loke reported, “King Tomas and Fiore have their hands full. They’re being hard pressed. Bosco... formally, they are remaining neutral, but I don’t need the reports to know they’ve cut a deal with Dragnof. Caelum and the others are in the middle of internal debates about whether to involve themselves...”

 

Even the usually unflappable Loke couldn’t hide the faint twist of his mouth at the notion of the other nations somehow being spared Dragnof’s conquest ambitions. The recently created “empire” had made no effort to hide their militaristic intent, not from the beginning when it devoured Veronica’s neighboring country, Seven, from the inside out in a bloody revolution.

 

“The internal resistance from the Seven government holdouts has been losing ground,” he went on. “It sounds like they’re barely staying out of the concentration camps. And for other powers...”

 

He glanced at the figure of Yakuma’s so-called ambassador — in practice, more a spy master — Kagura, who had stood motionless at a respectful distance since the meeting began. She shook her head once, only the faintest hint of regret and frustration passing across her usually stoic expression.

 

It was to be expected. Yakuma was very far away, after all. Kagura’s role was to observe and report back, and she had already done more than they could have expected to help sabotage the Dragnof Empire’s advance.

 

But that had been their last possibility for a stay of execution.

 

Every face turned back to Lucy, awaiting her decision. The weight of their expectations was nearly crushing. What was the right choice? What should they do? Was there even any choice that didn’t spell suffering and death for their country?

 

Fight to protect their homes even when Dragnof reached the Celes Corridor? The death toll would be catastrophic, among civilians as well. Withdraw from the valley to the mountains with their armed forces and key leadership to continue guerrilla warfare against the occupying forces? That would be the same as surrendering their homes and families to the enemy, and there was no telling what kinds of reprisals against the civilian population might follow.

 

Or even... The other path, that no one had even voiced from the beginning, which had been discarded for their pride.

 

There weren’t any good options, in the end. Any choice she made was doomed from the start.

 

And yet she had to make it. She was the leader of Veronica, the Archduchess. Mother, Father, even her tutor, none of them were there anymore. It was just her.

 

Swallowing heavily, Lucy took a deep breath and tried to form the words that would decide the fate of her country.

 

But, surprisingly, it was Virgo who spoke.

 

“Lady Erza will return from her mission at Satella Pass shortly,” she said, showing no reaction to the way every eye in the room snapped to her. Lucy wasn’t the only one staring in surprise at hearing her usually silent maid speak up. “She may have some additional input.”

 

“Yes!” Lucy rushed to agree, standing so quickly that her chair skittered back against the floor. “Let’s wait until Erza gets back. I want to consult with her first, just in case. And then, I will...” She trailed off.

 

“That sounds like a wise course of action,” Crux agreed, his expression kind and sympathetic as he looked at Lucy, easily guessing the real reason Virgo had made her suggestion and why Lucy was so eager to support it.

 

Next to him, Loke was silent for a long moment before smiling wryly. “If that is the Archduchess’s will,” he said. More quietly, he added. “Three days. We can’t afford to wait any longer.”

 

Her hands clenching into fists in the folds of her skirt, Lucy ducked her head in acknowledgement.

 

~.~.~

 

**Part 2: Brave Heart (The battlefield)**

 

Being one of the few relatively safe ways through the mountain range along Veronica’s northern border, Satella Pass had long served as one of the main trade routes between the principality and their neighbor Seven. However, after the bloody revolution that transformed peaceful Seven into the militant Dragnof Empire, it became a dangerous gate for the invasion.

 

As a result, the pass had been collapsed in several locations, which had served to at least slow the empire’s advance — but not halt it entirely. Despite the locals’ best efforts, Dragnof forces had been slowly but steadily clearing away the rubble and moving down the pass. And, of course, their cutting edge planes flashed through overhead regularly.

 

Erza had been on several missing to Satella already. Each time, the front line had encroached closer and closer to the foot of the pass and the open farmland in the valley there. Each time, she had completed her mission, but she had known that the battles would resume as soon as she was gone.

 

But it wasn’t as if she could remain there indefinitely either. There were too many other places where her power was needed.

 

“Their forward base is located here,” a soldier explained, tracing a route to a spot on the map. “And they’ve managed to build a bridge across the gorge here. That’s what we need to take out, along with the ledge, so they can’t rebuild it easily. Will you be able to do it?”

 

Her eyes narrowing in thought, Erza compared the map to her memory of the one back in the capital, depicting the lay of the leylines. It would be close, but most missions in the pass were.

 

Glancing over her shoulder at the long silvery missiles that had been prepared for her, she estimated their weight and nodded sharply.

 

“I will,” Erza said firmly. “I’ll destroy it completely, no matter what.”

 

“There are regular air patrols passing through, and snipers stationed across the slopes,” the soldier warned. “We’ve been trying to root them out, but there’s too much ground to cover. They’ll be watching for you, since they can guess you’ll be coming.”

 

The frown lines across his weary face deepened, his brow furrowing as he regarded her. It wasn’t doubt, that a young woman barely out of childhood could claim success with such certainty. The recrimination in his expression was for himself and his comrades — for having to rely on her, in a battle that should have been theirs.

 

His jaw tightening, he added brusquely, “Be careful, Lady Erza.”

 

Erza smiled. The people of this country were truly kind, and that was why she wanted to help them, after all. That, and one person in particular.

 

“Don’t worry. I’ll be fine,” she said firmly. “After all, I’m a witch.”

 

Placing her hand on the long, heavy glaive that rested against the boulders nearby, she let the magic flowing through the land fill her and seep into the weapon. It rose smoothly, the thick shaft rotating as easily as a baton, and it didn’t waver when she straddled it, like a witch atop a broom.

 

Well, she was a witch, after all.

 

Another gesture, and the large missiles rose as well, regardless of their weight, and followed her obediently. She glanced back over her shoulder as she took to the air. Meeting her gaze, the soldier saluted sharply.

 

“The Scarlet Witch,” someone whispered, catching sight of her.

 

The same words rolled across the gathered troops, the militia, the locals who insisted on fighting as well, and every face turned up toward her, expressions of hope and admiration. Some joined in salute, some clasped their hands in prayer, some cheered.

 

Everyone was counting on her.

 

She wouldn’t lose. For their sake, and for Lucy’s. It was time to give her repayment for all the kindness she had received.

 

~.~.~

 

Erza skimmed close to the mountainside and the thinning forests as she wound her way up the pass. Besides providing her more cover and making her a harder target for snipers or fighter planes, there was another reason for this — the flow of magic was stronger in the mountains, away from the paths humans had tread for generations.

 

It wasn’t as if she could see it, and her ability to sense it was limited as well. If she accidentally flew out of the leyline’s range... it wouldn’t be just Erza herself crashing at full speed, it would be the bombs as well. Her mission would quite literally go up in flames.

 

Whipping past the treeline and the rocks, kicking up leaves and dust with her passing, Erza managed to blitz past the first few Dragnof guards, lying hidden in wait, without giving them a chance to do anything. But they must have radioed the sightings, and soon the sentries and temporary outposts were expecting her — opening fire as she approached, voices yelling frantically.

 

“There she is, the witch! Fire! Fire!”

 

“Don’t let her get past!”

 

Erza alone was too small a target, but the bombs she was towing were a different story. Most of the fire she avoided by twisting and turning, juking from side to side. But soon — the retort of a rifle, too close to dodge—

 

Still, this wasn’t her first mission. In the battles she’d fought, Erza had learned to refine her powers. It was hard, but gritting her teeth, she focused her will.

 

Just before it could hit the rear-most missile, the bullet pinged against an invisible wall.

 

Stopping its momentum completely would have been too much for Erza, but she only needed to deflect it. In a split second, it ricocheted off into the mountainside behind her. The sniper who had made the shot reared back in surprise, cursing — he had been sure of his aim.

 

Erza winced, fishtailing and almost scratching against the cliff as her concentration wavered. Overcorrecting, she shot out too far into the open, and the glaive she was riding fell out from under her suddenly, just as she felt her hold on the magic slipping out of her grasp.

 

“Agh!” she gave a short, startled cry, her grip on the shaft going white-knuckled.

 

The magic flowed back as abruptly as it had slipped away, and the glaive bucked, back under her control.

 

This was why missions in the pass were the worst. The smallest miscalculation would mean a crash.

 

And if — when — their enemy reached the Celes Corridor...

 

There was no time for thoughts like that, and Erza shoved them away. Up ahead, she could see a rough wooden watchtower that had been erected next to the near side of the bridge. It was time to make her own attack.

 

The goal wasn't just to take out the bridge, which would be rebuilt entirely too quickly. No, she needed to destroy as much of both cliffs as possible.

 

On the near side, that was simple. A quick glance to compare the lay of the land to what she'd been told, and Erza hurtled a bomb toward the outcropping the watch tower had been built on.

 

She lost control of it about halfway through the arc of its descent, but it didn’t matter, momentum and gravity doing the rest. There were panicked screams below, making Erza wince and clench her jaw, before the explosion rocked the narrow passage, momentarily blinding and deafening everyone.

 

The rumbling roar continued even after the echo of the explosion should have faded — the mountainside crumbling away in an avalanche.

 

Rising above the chaos, Erza gestured broadly, and the second missile shot forward, across the gorge to the other side of the collapsing bridge.

 

Luck wasn’t on her side this time. Someone on the other side had maintained sense enough to open fire on the bomb while it hurled across the gap. As it passed out of the leyline’s range, she couldn’t make it swerve or deflect the bullets, and a second explosion ripped across the pass, still too high in the midair to accomplish her goal.

 

But that, after all, was the reason she had brought three bombs.

 

The third, final missile burst through the fire, in the small gap where the enemy soldiers had cringed away, shielding their eyes from the explosion.

 

Crashing into the cliff just below the bridge’s broken edge, the last bomb detonated, and the cliffside crumbled.

 

Screams rang out among the explosion and landslide, and Erza forced herself to watch, even as her stomach churned.

 

She had done this, with her magic.

 

But this was the path she had chosen. She didn’t want to do this, didn’t want to kill, but she couldn’t stand by and do nothing either. No matter what, she had chosen to protect this country and its princess, and she would not hesitate.

 

She watched the billowing clouds dust and the scrambling of the survivors for a moment longer, before the low drone of approaching airplanes spurred her back into motion and retreat.

 

~.~.~

 

**Part 3: Heart to Heart (The night)**

 

Step, swing. Return to ready stance. Step, swing.

 

With every swing of the sword, Erza exhaled, as she had been taught. Her steps and the sharp swish of the blade cutting through air were the only sounds in the empty courtyard.

 

Her chest was heaving when she finally lowered the sword and eased her stance. She turned — and stiffened in surprise as she caught sight of the figure sitting silently on the steps nearby.

 

Seeing her startled expression, Lucy giggled quietly. As Erza relaxed, she patted the spot next to her with a smile. “I didn’t know you trained in the sword,” she said, her quiet voice carrying in the silence of the royal palace at night.

 

“I didn’t, before. I asked Miss Kagura to teach me,” Erza admitted. Running her fingers along the sheath absently, she looked up at the fat waxing moon overhead. “I want to be able to fight, even without my magic — even here, where there aren’t any leylines. I want to be able to protect you, always.”

 

A red blush spread over Lucy’s cheeks, and she quickly looked away from Erza’s intent gaze. “T-thank you,” she mumbled, clearing her throat. As the heir to the previous Archduchess, and now as Archduchess herself, she was used to declarations of protection, but it felt different somehow, coming from Erza.

 

She supposed it was because Erza wasn’t one of her people — not a citizen of Veronica, and bound by no loyalty to the ruling family. Erza’s decision was her own, based on nothing but her personal feelings.

 

But the small smile that tugged at Lucy’s lips at the thought faded quickly. “It might not be necessary,” Lucy said, her mouth pursing unhappily as she remembered the dilemma that had been weighing on her and the reason she had sought Erza out. “We might... have to abandon the city soon. We’re probably not going to fight here in the corridor.”

 

“Abandon the city?” Erza repeated in shock, staring at Lucy with wide eyes. “But that’s... this place is...”

 

Lucy nodded slowly. “It’s a strategy. The Vermilion Witch came up with it, a long time ago, but it’s the best we can think of,” she said. “Fighting in the Celes Corridor, against an enemy with numbers on their side, is hopeless. The farmland is flat and clear, so it’s not like in the mountains, where we can use the terrain. We’ll be forced to fall back as Dragnof advances, but we won’t be able to evacuate everyone... We would only lose more people without even being able to stall them much, not without doing something like burning our own fields.”

 

This had been laid out to her, in merciless detail, the best estimates of how their defenses would fall and what the casualties would be. The sympathetic expressions on Loke’s and Crux’s faces had been the most painful, as they watched her take it all in, pale and shaking.

 

They didn’t expect her to somehow find an answer because there wasn’t one, Lucy thought again.

 

“That’s why,” she went on, swallowing heavily, “that’s why, once they reach the Celes Corridor, we are going to cede the valley and the capital, and retreat to the mountain strongholds. That’s... the plan at least. But I’ve been thinking...”

 

And this was what she couldn’t admit to anyone, too ashamed and too scared of losing what little faith in her they had.

 

“...Maybe we should just surrender,” Lucy said quietly, staring down at her hands, clenched in the fabric of her long nightgown. “What... do you think, Erza?”

 

“Hm,” Erza made a vague sound that was neither judging nor accepting. “I’m not a citizen of Veronica. This is not my country, so I don’t think it’s up to me to decide its future...”

 

“It is!” Lucy protested, spinning to face her. “You’re fighting so hard for our sake! Even though you hate using your magic to hurt people... Of course you should have a choice!”

 

Blushing at her own sudden outburst, she quickly looked away again, but Erza only nodded thoughtfully, unfazed. “I... want to protect this country,” she said slowly, trying to put her feelings into words. “I want to protect the way it is, the kindness everyone here has. It was Veronica soldiers who rescued me from those slavers, and it’s because of Veronica’s kindness that I gained my freedom. I want to pay back that kindness.”

 

“That’s not something you have to pay back,” Lucy muttered. “We just... patrol the border. Slavery isn’t legal here, like in Bosco, so if some of the slavers happen to end up in our territory when they’re crossing the mountains, it’s our duty to stop them. That’s all. It’s not like we wanted to put you in our debt...”

 

“I know,” Erza agreed, smiling. “Those soldiers didn’t even know I had magic in the first place. It must have scared them a lot when things just started flying all of a sudden. But even then, everyone did their best to treat me well, although they must have been so scared... You must have been scared too, right?”

 

“Huh? That was...”

 

Lucy hesitated, thinking back to their first meeting years ago. She had been passing through the same border outpost that the patrol had taken Erza to, on her way to visit her father abroad. When suddenly — everything had begun to float, the dishes, the vases, even the chairs and table. Holding down her skirt, she had laughed with delight.

 

“It’s more the opposite, actually,” Lucy chuckled awkwardly. “I didn’t really understand what was going on, so I thought it was amazing.”

 

“You looked like it, when you came twirling in,” Erza said, in a fond, reminiscent tone, “but I always wondered... It was the first time anyone had treated my magic like something wonderful.”

 

“It really is something wonderful,” Lucy pointed out, her brows drawing together in confusion.

 

Chuckling, Erza shook her head. So simple... Lucy’s bright, simple nature hadn’t changed from when they were children. Back then, she hadn’t known that the golden girl who suddenly ran up to her and took her by the hand excitedly was royalty, but she had called her a princess all the same. To Erza, Lucy could only have been a princess from a fairy tale.

 

The soldiers might have rescued her, but it was the bright, shining princess who saved her from her own fears and hatred, who gave her courage. Who was the reason why Erza had returned and chosen to fight.

 

“I want to protect you,” Erza said, simple and clear.

 

The way Lucy stared at her mutely, eyes widening and a faint blush across her cheeks, made her smile in return.

 

“That’s my own selfish wish,” she went on. “More than anything, I want to protect you.” She nodded to herself, looking up at the white moon again. “You’re thinking about surrendering because we don’t have the power to win, right? We can keep fighting, but we will always be retreating, losing more and more. All we can do is pray for a miracle that might not come. Is there a purpose to losing more lives when we have no chance of winning?”

 

“That’s right,” Lucy admitted quietly. “I know everyone wants to keep fighting. But...”

 

“I’m not a citizen of Veronica, so I don’t have the right to decide its fate,” Erza repeated. “But if Veronica surrenders, what’s going to happen to you?”

 

That part — whether she had the right or not — Erza could not ignore or allow to pass by.

 

As the archduchess, Lucy wouldn’t be allowed to just live under occupation. She would be imprisoned at best, quite possibly executed. And Erza wouldn’t allow either of those things to happen.

 

“Well, if it comes to that, I’ll throw you over my broom and fly off, just the two of us,” she decided.

 

She ignored the way Lucy spluttered in shock next to her.

 

“Miss Kagura tells me Yakuma is lovely this time of year,” she went on. “You can become a writer like you wanted. I will go back to performing on the road. I’m sure the novelty of a western performance will be a big draw. We can travel together, see the far east lands...”

 

“Pfuh!” Completely red, Lucy made a noise like air bursting out of a balloon, her shoulders shaking.

 

“I suppose it’ll be a little tough in the beginning, the Yakuma language is very different,” Erza raised her voice a little, talking over her wordless protests. “But you’re very smart, so it’ll work out. Miss Kagura might even be able to pass our letters back to our friends. Actually, perhaps all of Fairy Tail will visit. It might give Master some peace of mind to be a continent away from the debt collectors always on our tail—”

 

“Pwahaha! Stop, stop, stop!” Lucy begged. Arms curled around her stomach, she bent over and laughed helplessly.

 

That was enough. Smiling, Erza leaned back and listened to the bright, helpless laughter echoing around the empty courtyard, until it finally trailed off into a peaceful silence.

 

Straightening, Lucy took a deep breath and wiped the tears of mirth from her eyes. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “It makes me really happy to hear that... even if it’s not possible. There’s no way I could leave my country and run away... I guess everyone feels that way, right? That’s why they want to keep fighting even when we don’t know how to win.”

 

It might have been senseless, but the world around them had lost all sense as well. There wasn’t a right answer, so the only thing left to do was at least stay true to themselves and what they believed in.

 

‘There’s only one thing we can do, isn’t there?’ Lucy thought, but compared to the hopelessness of earlier, all that remained was a simple determination.

 

“Thank you,” she repeated, earnestly.

 

Erza didn’t say anything in reply. There was no need to. Reaching across the small space between them, she placed her hand over Lucy’s in silent support — and a promise.

 

‘No matter what path you take, I will always be with you.’

 

Just as Lucy had always been there for her.

 

~.~.~

 

 

**Part 4: The Heart Grew Fonder (The letters)**

 

“Erza! Letter for you!”

 

Erza wasn’t the only one to look up with interest when Master Makarov called out to her, waving a slightly worn white envelope in the air.

 

Letters were rare for Fairy Tail. As a traveling minstrel band, they had no address to send post to, and any letters that might have been intended for them were usually lost in the chain of forwarding between towns and even countries. And to begin with, few of them had anyone would might try.

 

But even if she was an orphan with no family outside their band, Erza had one special bond and one special person who had written to her tirelessly for years, ever since their meeting and parting.

 

The fact that those letters, written on the cute pink stationary in an even, pretty hand, had always found Erza, no matter where she went, had always felt like a different sort of magic — even if it was probably a misuse of Veronica’s international connections and spy network.

 

As expected of a princess, after all.

 

A sharp glare sent her nosey friends, who had been sidling up to her, trying to peer over her shoulders, quickly backing away with expressions of innocence, some more believable than others. Truthfully, all of them knew better than to interrupt Erza’s letter time, no matter how much they joked about it... behind her back.

 

Wedging herself between two props in the back of one of their wagons, Erza ran her fingers over the letter with a slow, savoring smile. She opened it carefully, pulling out the thick bundle of folded sheets.

 

‘Dear Erza,’ the first began, in Lucy’s familiar handwriting, ‘I’m sorry for not writing for so long...’

 

The Archduchess’s health had taken a turn for the worse, so Lucy had been spending all her time between her mother’s bedside and trying to shoulder more of her duties. There was talk of moving forward her coronation, which Lucy claimed enthusiasm about, perhaps some of it even genuine.

 

Meanwhile, her father was still overseas on the western continent for trade negotiations. With the tensions rising regarding the newly formed Dragnof Empire and the political situation becoming more and more complicated, Lucy wasn’t sure he would be able to return any time soon.

 

‘Stay safe in your travels,’ she added. ‘There will be a lot of unrest on the roads.’

 

Those details weren’t laid out so clearly, of course. Most of the letter was light in tone, peppered with amusing anecdotes about Lucy’s life at the palace in Veronica, about her stoic and slightly terrifying maid, about the Archduchess’s aide, a flirt who was so well-known to the local women that no one paid him attention anymore, about sneaking out to get cake.

 

But even Lucy’s good cheer couldn’t quite hide her unease. Erza felt it too, everywhere Fairy Tail went, on the road, at every inn, and in their audiences.

 

Master Makarov had already started making plans to head east or even crossing the channel south to Minstrel. “We’ll be minstrels in Minstrel, hohohoh!” he’d joked, trying to lighten the uncertain mood among their band.

 

Folding the letter carefully and tucking it away, Erza pulled her legs up to her chest and curled up.

 

Fairy Tail could go somewhere far away, somewhere safe. They would be alright, she believed that.

 

But would Lucy be alright too? She had been listening to snatches of news and gossip. If the amassing Dragnof military really did invade, as everyone feared, it was Fiore and Veronica that would become their first targets.

 

Those kind people that had helped her, the peaceful country Lucy described in her letters — they might end up the same as Seven had, during the bloody revolution to “restore” the old Dragnof Kingdom.

 

“Ow! Damned piece of...”

 

Her head snapped up at the sound of dull thunk and muttered curses from among the props stuffed into the wagon, moving slowly toward her. Some slightly ominous rattling as the stacked props shifted, and finally a squat figure squeezed through the narrow opening between half a pillar and a castle wall on its side to crawl into the small open space in front of Erza.

 

“...Master Makarov?” Erza asked, in surprise. “W-why are you in here?”

 

Unlike Erza, the master could stand up straight inside the wagon, and he did so painstakingly, groaning a little as his back popped.

 

“Yo!” he greeted her finally, beaming and waving nonchalantly. “Hope you don’t mind me squeezing in here for a bit. I know it’s your place.”

 

Everyone knew. They all knew each other’s habits, and what not to do or where not to go when one of them needed some space, since it wasn’t like they could wander off just to sulk.

 

If Master Makarov had gone against that unspoken rule — giving Erza her alone time with her newest letter — he must have had a reason.

 

Erza waited patiently as he settled across from her with a quiet sigh and scratched at his mustache, trying to figure out where to start. “You want to go, right?” Makarov said finally, making Erza tense. “It’s obvious. You’ve been thinking about it for a while. Everyone has noticed, you know.”

 

“It’s— It’s not that I want to leave Fairy Tail!” she protested. “You are all my family, and I have been so, so happy to be here! But…”

 

“But you’re worried about your princess,” Makarov finished with a kindly smile.

 

“I don’t even know what I could do if I went,” Erza admitted, frustration heavy in her tone. “There’s no point to it. It’s not as if I can... stop a war...”

 

She shifted awkwardly, her hands clenching in her lap. Because, she had been thinking, what if she could?

 

Her magic was powerful. More powerful than she knew the limits of. She was strong. She could fight. But at the same time, she didn’t want to. She didn’t want to use her magic to hurt anyone else. And revealing it — what would happen to her?

 

Watching her struggle with herself, Makarov shook his head fondly. “You don’t need to think about it that hard,” he said, chuckling a little. “Wanting to be at your friend’s side when she needs you is only natural. You don’t need magic for that, and I’m sure just having you there will be a comfort to her. And if you do choose to act… You are an adult now. And it is your choice.

 

“But whatever you choose, there’s one thing I’m sure of — if you don’t go, you will regret it.”

 

Erza knew that too. If she didn’t act, she would always regret it, always wonder about what might have been.

 

Put that way, the path was clear, wasn’t it?

 

“Master,” she said quietly but firmly, looking up and meeting his gaze, “I’m going.”

 

~.~.~

 

**Part 5: Clear-hearted (The reunion)**

 

Lucy bit her lip as yet another squad of Dragnof soldiers marched past the alley they were hiding in.

 

‘This can’t be happening,’ she thought distantly.

 

There had been talk of a possible invasion for a while now, ever since the revolution in Seven. Tensions had been rising. But Lucy had never truly thought that it would happen — especially not while she herself was in Fiore.

 

Loke had told her it was dangerous, but she had wanted to see her father so much. Surely, she had thought, it couldn’t be that dangerous to go to Fiore, their old ally, and meet his ship at the port. She had made a similar trip many times. And Virgo, with all her scary efficiency and skill, would be with her.

 

What could go wrong?

 

The port could be invaded, it turned out. It must have been some kind of evil fate — that particular city, that particular day.

 

Virgo had dragged Lucy into the back alleys when the first word of Dragnof soldiers reached them. They had argued for a short while whether to head toward the harbor, to check if Jude’s ship had docked, or toward the city limits, to escape, until Virgo’s clear-headed arguments — that the Dragnof forces were coming from the sea as well, and they would have put up a blockage ahead of time, so no ship would have docked — finally prevailed.

 

Unfortunately, even so, escape was looking less and less plausible.

 

“Princess, we need to move quickly,” Virgo said quietly, her gaze constantly sweeping around them for threats. For once, she was forgoing her usual deference, but this was not how Lucy had wished for that to happen. “The situation is only growing more complicated. If we are to make a break for it, it must be now.”

 

“A-alright,” Lucy said, swallowing nervously as more heavy footsteps echoed nearby. “Let’s go.”

 

They didn’t dare risk the main streets, but Virgo led them quickly down the back alleys, twisting and turning through the city. There was a constant roar somewhere never too far away — voices shouting, running, cars gunning their motors, sometimes even screams. Once in awhile but growing more common, a sharp retort of gunfire made Lucy flinch even as she pressed on.

 

But their luck, such as it was, had to run out eventually.

 

“Hey! You two!” There was no time to avoid the pair of soldiers that spotted them as they crossed a small courtyard. Pulling Lucy behind her, Virgo turned to face them as they approached. “Hands where I can see them! And get on the ground! Now!”

 

Lucy didn’t have to fake her hesitancy and fear, but the way Virgo dipped her head, apparently demure, was pure pretend. Both of them began to kneel, and the soldiers approached, guns held loosely in their direction.

 

The moment they were in arms reach, Virgo moved.

 

She was not just a maid. In truth, she was not a maid at all, but Lucy’s bodyguard, and she crossed the remaining distance in a flash. A gun clattered to the ground as Virgo efficiently disarmed one soldier and kneed him in the stomach. Yelling, the other tried to aim for her, but she was already attacking again. A sharp kick had him on the ground as well.

 

“Princess, quickly!” Pulling Lucy along, she ran before the soldiers had a chance to get back on their feet.

 

They burst out onto a wide street and were immediately engulfed by a shoving, stampeding crowd. There was another staccato of gunfire somewhere behind them, far too close — a scattering of screams, and the crowd rippled as it ducked but did not stop moving.

 

“Virgo!” Lucy yelled, as she felt her grip beginning to slip.

 

Explosions in the distance had been growing closer, and several now suddenly erupted just behind them. Lucy staggered, ears ringing with the blast and the screams, and realized their hands had slipped apart. “Virgo!” she called out again, but her voice was lost in the panic, and she could see no sign of her maid’s pink hair.

 

As the crowd continued to press against her, Lucy stumbled and struggled to stay on her feet. ‘Focus, Virgo will be alright,’ she told herself, gritting her teeth. Given Virgo’s skills, that was the simple truth. ‘I have to get out of the city and trust her to do the same.’

 

That alone would not be so easy.

 

“Oof!” The breath was knocked out of Lucy as the crowd around her suddenly slammed to a stop, the people behind her pressing and shoving her into those in front of her. Over their heads, she could just make out the top of a tank blocking the street ahead.

 

She had to find another way and quickly, before the soldiers began to break up and detail the crowd — or before violence broke out.

 

Squeezing sideways between through the crowd, cringing from the renewed yells and the warning shots into the air, Lucy managed to stumble out into a small alley. But if she continued through the back streets, she’d just run into another Dragnof patrol.

 

There was only one thing left to do. Looking up slowly, Lucy nodded to herself.

 

Her skirt had already been ripped, without her noticing, and she only lengthened the tear. Tying back the loose fabric, she took a short running start and jumped onto a brick windowsill. Then — pulling herself up onto an awning and scrambling up to a scaffolding on the second floor — she took a deep breath and made the jump across the narrow alley below onto the opposite building’s roof.

 

She barely made it, flailing for a moment before managing to hoist herself up onto the roof tiles. From her new position, Lucy could see the blockade better — not just one tank, but three, and squads of soldiers around them.

 

‘I have to circle around, to another street,’ she thought, and continued to climb.

 

They hadn’t started checking the roofs yet, but it was only a matter of time.

 

“Hey! There’s someone up there!” A voice barked out suddenly, as Lucy rushed onward. She had managed to make it almost to the outskirts, where the buildings became shorter and spaced further apart, before she was finally noticed.

 

Slipping a little in surprise, Lucy tried to duck out of sight and make a run from it. The raised voices and pounding footsteps below followed her.

 

“Cut them off!”

 

“There’s a clear lot up ahead! Go!”

 

There was another voice too, shouting something that almost registered—

 

A stray bullet whizzed over her head, and Lucy gave a short, startled scream. She stumbled, trying to keep her head down. Her foot slid on the smooth tiles, sending Lucy tumbling down the tilted roof.

 

Her hand scrambled for the edge, but it was no good. Missing, she fell through the air, the ground rushing up to meet her.

 

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of bright, vivid red.

 

The harsh landing didn’t come. Instead, Lucy felt the familiar movement of being caught in someone’s arms — from too many times climbing and falling out of trees in the palace and the summer villa. She almost expected to hear Loke or her father scolding her again, ‘that’s not how a princess should act...’

 

When she opened her eyes and looked up at her rescuer, it was a completely different face that greeted her.

 

Beautiful, was Lucy’s first thought. It wasn’t the time for that, but for a moment, her mind went blank in awe. Scarlet hair fluttering around her, soft smile on her lips, the young woman holding Lucy like a bride was absolutely beautiful.

 

“Are you alright?” she asked.

 

Lucy nodded dumbly as she was set back onto her feet. “I... yes, I’m fine,” she managed. “But you’re... you’re...” That red hair, that smile. “Erza...?”

 

Yes, it must have been some kind of fate — that particular city, that particular day...

 

They met again.

 

There was no time for a reunion. Both glanced sharply toward the corner, where heavy footsteps were drawing closer. Grabbing Lucy’s wrist, Erza took off just as soldiers rounded the bend.

 

“Erza! Why are you here?” Lucy called out, as they raced through the town outskirts.

 

“To meet you,” she replied without turning back. “I came to meet you again. It’s been a long time, princess.”

 

“It’s not safe! You shouldn’t have come!” Lucy protested.

 

Erza hummed in disagreement. “No,” she said, her tone calm and even, despite the shouts growing closer behind them, “I was right to come. Because I decided — I’m going to fight. I’m going to fight for you and your country.”

 

“Fight...?”

 

Their feet pounded over the planks of a small bridge, Erza’s hand lightly touching the railing. The city edge had fallen away behind them, leaving only fields spread out ahead. In the distance, more columns of smoke rose toward the sky, and Lucy could just make out the dark shapes of tanks forming a loose barrier, but the way ahead was clear.

 

“Yes, I’m going to fight,” Erza repeated. She stopped suddenly and turned, but it wasn’t Lucy she was looking at. Her gaze was focused on small squad of the soldiers coming in pursuit. “There’s a legend in Veronica, isn’t there? Of a witch who fought for your people — the Witch of Vermilion.”

 

“There is, but— if you use your magic... Erza!”

 

“So I’ve decided,” Erza went on, her voice entirely calm and unwavering, “I will become the second witch to protect Veronica. I will be the new Vermilion Witch.” She raised her arm and added, almost as if to herself, “Here, out of the city, it’s not strong... but it’s enough.”

 

The soldiers were raising their rifles, taking aim, as they ran across the same bridge Erza and Lucy had crossed. They were shouting something, threats and commands booming out—

 

With one sharp gesture, Erza ripped the entire bridge out of the ground and flung it sideways.

 

The weight of the wooden planks and posts crashed into the soldiers, who had also been thrown into the air, and both bridge and men plowed into the narrow canal below. As the dust began to settle, none of the soldiers stirred, completely unconscious.

 

Content with her handiwork and the small but brutal show of power, Erza turned to Lucy again and waited — for her decision, in turn.

 

She wanted to refuse. What would happen, if magic was suddenly proven real? Would it become just another weapon? It had felt like a small, precious secret been between the two of them — Lucy didn’t want that to happen. And what would become of Erza herself? Her childhood friend, whose rare smiles Lucy had wanted to protect and cherish more than anything. For her to become a soldier, another person leaving their fate up to her to decide…

 

But Erza had been the one to decide, hadn’t she? There was nothing to say in the face of that clear-hearted determination.

 

So Lucy smiled, slight and awkward, but a smile all the same. “You’re more like a Scarlet Witch,” she said. “I’m… I’m in your hands.”

 

~.~.~

 

**Part 6: Heartbeat (The dance)**

 

Slipping into the opulent guest suite and closing the door behind her, Lucy looked around in search of Erza. The palace staff had done a thorough job returning the room to use and preparing for their distinguished new resident — the Scarlet Witch, even her existence had not yet been officially announced.

 

But Erza herself was notably absent from among the gleaming splendor, the polished dark wood furniture and the embroidered drapes. A faint breeze made Lucy glance toward the open balcony doors, and she caught a glimpse of crimson beyond.

 

“How are you settling in?” she asked as she stepped out onto the balcony and made her way to stand beside Erza at the railing.

 

“I’m fine,” Erza replied easily. The night wind tugged at her hair, and it took her a moment to tear her gaze away from the vista of the city lights in front of them. “Fairy Tail is always traveling too, so I’m used to moving to new places.” Taking a deep breath of the cool air, she added, “The capital really is as beautiful as you said.”

 

Lucy nodded slowly. “Will you be okay tomorrow too?” she asked. “It’ll be your official debut as Veronica’s witch and protector. It’s going to be difficult, and not just the fighting. You’re going to become a symbol to Veronica and in the war. Now is the last chance, if you want to... well...”

 

“I’m not going to change my mind,” Erza said firmly. “I’ve decided. And I’m a performer, I’m used to playing all kinds of roles. A witch, a hero, a prince... I’m a good actress.”

 

The rest of Fairy Tail would have begged to differ, but Lucy didn’t know any better than to take her words at face value. In truth, Erza didn’t need to act for this — she only needed to be true to her own decision and desire to protect Veronica and its princess.

 

“And you?” Erza asked instead. “Will you be alright? Tomorrow is also your coronation as Archduchess.”

 

Her expression twisted in sympathy as Lucy bit her lip, tensing but forcing herself to draw a shaky breath.

 

It had taken them some time to make it back from Fiore safely, as the Dragnof invasion devoured the countryside and the local forces mobilized to respond. Fiore wasn’t the only country to be struck either — Veronica had been invaded as well, though the mountains around its borders had delayed all forces except the initial airstrikes.

 

While she marshalled their defenses and quelled the panic from her sickbed, the Archduchess Layla’s health had deteriorated quickly.

 

She had passed away a day before her daughter returned.

 

With war pounding at their door, the government and advisors couldn’t even allow time for mourning before ushering Lucy onto the throne.

 

“I’ll be okay,” Lucy said, as if trying to convince herself. “I always knew I’d be Archduchess. I can do it. Besides, I’m pretty good at playing a part too.” She tried to smile, half-heartedly.

 

Erza’s lips pursed, and she looked away again, across the brightly lit capital.

 

There were more lights than just the lamp posts and the windows. Festival garlands had been hung across the streets and squares in celebration, and from a distance, at least, it evoked a cheerful atmosphere — the city welcoming its new Archduchess.

 

Thoughtfully, Erza glanced at Lucy, who met her gaze with a bemused expression.

 

“We have one last night as just ourselves,” she said, a smirk spreading across her lips. “We should enjoy it. You said you snuck out a lot, right...?”

 

~.~.~

 

The capital’s streets were packed with people, certainly, but the mood was far from festive. The coronation of a new Archduke or duchess was meant to be a joyous occasion, but it was also not meant to come on the heels of a death and a declaration of war. Even though the citizens were well familiar with Lucy, the future felt uncertain as they whispered amongst each other on the corners and at the food stalls.

 

Lucy must have noticed it too, pulling down the brim of her hat and gripping Erza's hand tighter as they hurried through the streets. “It's just up ahead,” she murmured distractedly, her light words mismatched from the worried furrow of her forehead. “This shop has the best cakes in town, I told you about it, right? Their strawberry shortcake is just...”

 

Catching a glimpse of something, Lucy stumbled over her words. It took Erza a moment to realize that it must have been the mourning wreath in one of the windows, hung up in honor of the late Archduchess Layla.

 

“...Just amazing,” Lucy forced herself to continue, tearing her eyes away.

 

Erza didn’t know what to do, except stumble along as Lucy dragged them through the crowds. Almost everyone in Fairy Tail had been an orphan, but they had all mourned alone and in silence by the time they joined, and she herself didn’t even remember having a family. She hated this helplessness.

 

“There it is!” Lucy exclaimed, a note of more genuine cheer in her voice as she ran the last distance.

 

Like many others, the cake shop had set up a stall outside, the table filled with small servings of many varied pastries. While Lucy pored over the selection, Erza looked around again. They were at the edge of a square, garlands of lights and flags reaching from the edges of the buildings to spire of the fountain in the center.

 

It looked like the perfect place for a circle dance, or at least a band to play. Fairy Tail and Erza had performed in many a square like that — she’d lost count of how many fountains she had been forced to fish Gray or Natsu out of after they got into yet another scuffle.

 

It was such a waste. Erza sighed, sneaking another glance at Lucy. She had wanted to cheer her up a little, but her plan was looking more and more like a failure. There wasn’t much cheer to be found when the entire city shared Lucy’s unease and fear.

 

Abruptly, she slapped herself on both cheeks. Puffing up, she put on an expression of determination.

 

“Then I’ll just have to make it cheery,” she muttered, and stalked out into the empty center.

 

To keep from being recognized while they were out, Lucy had given her a scarf for cover her hair. Now, Erza pulled it off and unpinned the hasty bun, letting it flow free. Reaching the fountain, she nimbly jumped onto the wide rim.

 

Hands raised high, Erza began to clap. Finding a good rhythm, she tapped her foot and bobbed her head in sync. More and more faces turned toward her, curious or confused, until she had the attention of the entire square.

 

Spreading her arms wide, she took a deep bow. “This dance,” she declared, raising her head again, “I dedicate to the new Archduchess, may her reign be long and prosperous! Even in uncertain times, may you smile! Princess, to you!”

She had addressed the entire crowd, but in the end, her gaze focused on Lucy and Lucy alone, who had paused in the middle of finally making her purchase. Their eyes met, and Erza tried to convey all her feelings, all her faith and determination.

 

It would be alright, as long as they didn’t give up. They would find a way, no matter how tough it looked.

 

Grasping the end of the long scarf, Erza twirled and began to dance.

 

Her heels tapped out the rhythm as she stepped and spun, cloth swirling around her. The start was always the hardest — Would the audience follow? Could she guide their thoughts and feelings with her performance? Or would it all be ignored and meaningless?

 

Dancing alone was harder than Erza had expected. She had never tried to perform without Fairy Tail with her, matching her steps, their instruments making the music she moved to.

 

In the audience, someone began to clap along, in the same rhythm.

 

It was Lucy, a soft, grateful on her face.

 

Behind her, the baker joined in — then, someone else in the crowd. Then, another and another, until the square echoed with a simple but catching beat. Smiling, Erza held out her hand and beckoned.

 

Lucy’s soft palm slid into hers as quickly as she could close the distance, and Erza spun her around, guiding her in a simple, instinctive dance. Step, twirl, spin, turn and step — all the while, their eyes remained on each other, both smiling brilliantly.

 

Around them, the crowd had begun to move as well. The sounds of a guitar and then a drum picked up as someone found an instrument or two. The rhythm faltered a little, and the music was rough with an amateur lack of polish, but it flowed.

 

Soon, it wasn’t just Erza and Lucy dancing. However, neither ever looked away from her partner.

 

Finally, Lucy and Erza slowly came to a stop, both breathing a little heavily and covered in a slight sheen of sweat. Taking a matching step forward, they leaned their foreheads together, their clasped fingers interlacing.

 

“Thank you,” Lucy whispered quietly, the flush on her cheeks from more than just the exercise.

 

They jumped a little as cheer went up from the crowd and turned to stare in surprise.

 

“Archduchess! We believe in you!”

 

“You can do it, Princess!”

 

“Archduchess, we’re with you! We won’t lose!”

 

Turning bright red now, Lucy waved her hands frantically. “N-no, no! You’ve got it all wrong! I’m just a simple town girl!” she babbled. “I’m definitely not Lucy Heartfilia!”

 

Watching from the sidelines, Lucy’s forgotten pastries in her hands, Virgo shook her head. “They knew it was you from the beginning, Princess,” she chided, unheard and unnoticed. “You’re not very subtle.”

 

She should really have stopped Lucy from sneaking out at all, especially in such a precarious situation, and she would probably be scolded for neglecting her duties once they returned. But for this one night, she was happy to see her mistress smile again.

 

If she could make Lucy smile, then it didn’t matter if Erza was a witch or a demon. She would be a hero to Veronica.

 

~.~.~

 

**Part 7: Cross Your Heart (The promise)**

 

As the plane circled and straightened onto its course, Lucy took one last look out the window at the capital city that was quickly falling away into the distance.

 

It looked peaceful from afar, where the panic and fear could not be seen. But Lucy remembered the scenes she’d glimpsed from the car as they hurried to the airfield — the shouting, the broken windows and boarded up buildings, the crowds rushing to flee the city as more and more news of the Dragnof army’s approach reached the populace.

 

The enemy had breached the Celes Corridor and were quickly advancing through the farmlands and the small towns, along the highways toward the capital. Meanwhile, Veronica’s forces had been ordered into a retreat to the mountains and the strongholds there, putting up only enough resistance to stall Dragnof’s advance for a short while.

 

‘We’re really abandoning the capital and the heartlands,’ Lucy thought numbly, before her hands curled into fists. ‘No. We’re going to keep fighting. So I have to stay strong too.’

 

For her country, and for...

 

Sneaking a glance at Erza, sitting next to her, expression set and rigid, Lucy reached out and covered her hand with her own. When Erza looked back at her, she smiled.

 

“We’ll be to the drop point soon,” she said. “Are you ready?”

 

Raising her free hand, Erza flexed it experimentally and glanced at the stack of swords and lances strapped in against the opposite side of the plane. They glowed faintly and rattled a little as she gave them a small tug.

 

“Yes,” she judged. “Here will be fine.”

 

With that decision made, she stood and headed toward the back of the plane. The rear hatch groaned as it began to open, wind tearing through the plane and tugging at their hair and clothes. The webbing holding Erza’s weapons unclasped, and they rose into the air smoothly, arraying behind her.

 

“Erza! Wait!” Lucy called out, stumbling after her a little gracelessly as the plane shook with turbulence. Grabbing onto Erza for support, she looked up into her face and found herself hesitating, unsure of how to word what she wanted to say. “Erza, I... I’m...”

 

“Don’t worry,” Erza reassured her, smiling calmly. “I’ll hold them off at least long enough to make sure the retreat is complete.”

 

Lucy shook her head. “That’s not it, I know that!” she said. “Just... make sure you come back! You... you’re my friend, my closest friend... No, even more than that! So please, no matter what, make sure you come back too! I’ll be waiting!”

 

And, before she could hesitate again, she leaned in, tilting her face up to press her lips to Erza’s.

 

The kiss lasted only a moment, too short for the stunned Erza to react, before Lucy pulled back. A bright blush across her cheeks, she averted her eyes, though her hands were still curled in the fabric of Erza’s coat.

 

“It’s— It’s a lady’s favor! It’s tradition, you know!” Lucy blustered. “Just... for luck.”

 

Erza blinked, still staring in surprise. Then, her lips curved into a soft smile. “I will — I’ll come back,” she promised, reaching up to place her palm against Lucy’s cheek.

 

But only for a moment. With a last flash of her smile, she turned away and leaped out of the plane, her weapons soaring after her.

 

The Scarlet Witch, headed to battle.

 

~.~.~

 

**End notes:**

 

Nnnngh what is that “and the battle continues” ending?? Anyway, here the details I didn’t really have a good chance to slip in.

 

 **Veronica:** For those wondering about the name Veronica, I just used the name of the country from the first movie. However, there’s no other particular relation to the “canon” country. (I didn’t want to use Fiore because it would feel weird to make Lucy princess in Hisui’s place.) Geographically, it’s squished in between Fiore, Seven, and Bosco.

 

For those wondering, Dragnof is the official Crunchyroll romanization. (Amazing.)

 

 **Magic:** Works only slightly differently from Izetta canon. It uses the power of leylines to move stuff around and is very rare and, currently, only useable by Erza and Irene. (Fun fact, I was tossing around an idea of Mira as a kind of “dark magical girl” who is being forced into supporting the invading country to protect her siblings.)

 

 **Irene:** The theoretical final boss. She is taking a role that is both Sophie and the Germanian emperor in Izetta (though not entirely either). She’s the one who caused a revolution in Seven, leading to become the new Dragnof Empire and rules it as empress (Seven being here the location of the historical Dragnof Kingdom). Obviously, she’s a witch herself but doesn’t use her powers openly all that much.

 

 **The Witch of Vermilion:** Mavis takes on the role of the White Witch in Izetta, being the original witch from the legends. She was also an outstanding tactician and left behind many of the war plans used in present day. She was so powerful, in fact, that she didn’t age. No, there wasn’t a romance subplot with her. Her legend had a happy ending as she basically just continued her journey after helping Veronica.

 

Well, anyway, I’m sorry it wasn’t very couple-y...? I’m really just the worst at romance.

 

Sorry, sorry!


	10. Graylu exchange 2016, princess and peasant

**Theme:** Princess falls in love with a peasant

 

**Notes:** This is my contribution for Graylu Secret Sibling Exchange. My partner is  [ black-cats-bring-good-luck ](http://black-cats-bring-good-luck.tumblr.com/) . I don’t think I quite managed the request theme, since Gray’s not exactly a peasant, but I tried my best! 

 

~.~.~

 

“Going somewhere?” Gray asked blandly, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe. 

 

Lucy, halfway out the open window of her hotel room, froze and slowly looked back. “...Would you believe me if I said I’m going for a nice stroll around town?” she asked. 

 

“No,” Gray said. They stared at each other for a moment before he finally just sighed. “It’s not like I don’t understand why you’d want to run away. But that’s exactly why your father hired my guild to make sure you got to your wedding. And if you happen to not make it to that wedding, it’ll be a strike on Fairy Tail’s record.” 

 

“Tch,” Lucy clicked her tongue irritably, but reluctantly climbed back inside and dropped down onto the hotel room bed. “Who even does arranged marriages in this day and age?” 

 

“The Caelum royal family, I guess,” Gray answered mildly, even though it was a rhetorical question. 

 

“It’s stupid! Caelum’s ruled by the senate now, it's not like the royal family matters. We’re not even doing this for an alliance with Fiore or anything. It’s just for my father’s business deals!” she muttered rebelliously. “It must be nice being an adventurer and not having to worry about duties...” 

 

“It is,” Gray agreed. 

 

“Going anywhere you want, seeing all kind of places...” Lucy went on. “I want to go on adventures too!” With an angry sigh, she let herself fall backward onto the mattress. Staring up at the shadowed ceiling, she added quietly, “It was fun, traveling here from Caelum. My first time out of the palace...” 

 

Possibly the last, depending on what her husband would be like. Given that he had only agreed to Jude’s business deal in exchange for a young princess wife, duke or not, her chances were not looking good. 

 

“It’s not fair,” Lucy complained. 

 

“It’s not,” Gray said. He dropped onto the bed next to her, and a couple weeks ago, Lucy would have blushed and jumped off — a young man and a young woman, on the same bed? Among nobility, at least, that was scandalous. 

 

Of course, he wasn’t nobility. Worse than even a peasant, he was a rough, barbaric adventurer. Lucy thought some of her young noblewoman acquaintances back home would have faked fainting in horror just at the idea of being alone with him. Who knew what kind of barbaric things he’d do...?

 

Well, it wasn't as if they would be entirely wrong. Even if he claimed to be far more restrained than his guildmates, Gray still tried to solve almost all problems with magic — in other words, brute force — could eat anything, regardless of taste or state of freshness, and seemed to have a negative level of modesty. 

 

He'd even tried tossing Lucy over his shoulder and carrying her around precisely like a barbarian at one point, after she got creative with her attempts to run away. 

 

An absolute savage. 

 

At least Lucy knew what a naked man looked like, now... A very attractive naked man...

 

But also a jerk who wouldn't let her sneak off no matter how hard she tried because it was his job to get her into the arms of her twice-her-age husband to be. No matter how fun the journey had been at times, when Lucy managed to forget the destination, this wasn't like one of her fairytales. 

 

No, they wouldn't be eloping together, running off into the sunset, damn all duty and propriety. 

 

Lucy sighed. “It's not fair,” she muttered again. 

 

“It's not,” Gray agreed again. 

 

Lucy studied his profile in the darkened room, the only light coming from the street lamps outside. The corner of his lips had turned down in a displeased frown, his brow furrowing as he glared at something on the opposite wall. 

 

Her life wasn't a fairytale or a romance novel. But this scene... she could imagine it clearly in her mind. The heroine, a soft, vulnerable look on her face, grasping at his shirt and pressing close —  _ kiss me _ , she'd beg.  _ If I can’t choose who I marry, I at least want my first kiss to be by my own choice! _

 

Lucy sighed, overwhelmed with feeling as she visualized the dramatic declaration. 

 

He’d look down at her with wide eyed surprise, before his expression would change to understanding and a faint shade of something darker, more primal... Well, Lucy couldn’t really imagine this part too well, but she’d certainly read it enough times. They would lean in slowly, and...

 

A kiss, huh? Reaching up to touch her fingertips to her lips, Lucy closed her eyes in frustration. Unfortunately, her life wasn’t a fairytale, and she wasn’t a heroine. She just couldn’t bring herself to say it or to act like that. So it seemed her first kiss really would be with some man she’d never met, arranged by her father for reasons she cared nothing about. 

 

It was—

 

“It’s not fair,” Gray said, repeating Lucy’s words. “It’s not. But it’s my duty to get you to that wedding. So I can’t say something like — just ditch him and run. What’s he going to do, charge your dad extra? You’re smart and strong, so you’ll be alright out there. ...I’m definitely not saying that, because that would be a breach of contract. But if I could, I would. Say that.” 

 

“...Huh?” Lucy breathed, sitting up and staring at him in surprise. For his part, Gray studiously avoided her gaze, arms crossed and an uncomfortable frown on his face. If he didn’t have a contract, he’d say... that she should run? Was that supposed to be an apology? Or... “Oh.” 

 

“But you know, my contract is only to get you to the church,” Gray went on, still pointedly looking away. “It’s not like I was hired to see the wedding through. Whatever happens after you’re inside, it’s got nothing to do with Fairy Tail.” 

 

“Oh,” Lucy said again, suddenly understand.

 

~.~.~

 

Lucy didn't need a look at her husband to be — a short, squat man her father’s age, who sneered at her with disinterest — to make up her mind. But it definitely dispelled any last doubts she might have had. 

 

Taking only two steps down the aisle like a good girl, she spun on her heel and violently threw her bouquet into the face of the servant who had been leading her. 

 

As he spluttered helplessly and the few gathered witnesses stared in shock, she booked it for the doors. 

 

“Stop her!” the duke yelled angrily.

 

The guard who had been stationed at the door snapped to attention and tried to intercept her. “Out of my way!” Lucy yelled. Her wedding dress’s poofy skirt ripped as she hoisted it up with both hands and leaped to plant her foot in the guard’s face. “Lucy Kiiick!” 

 

...The shouting was probably unnecessary, but the terrifying thrill of completely and utterly defying her father made Lucy feel lightheaded. 

 

The church doors were thrown open as the guard’s body crashed into them. He groaned as Lucy trampled over him in her rush to get out. She squinted against the sunlight—

 

“Oomph!” 

 

—crashed into someone standing just outside the church. 

 

They stumbled and flailed for a moment before firm hands on Lucy’s shoulders steadied her. She looked up at the man she’d run into, ready to kick him too... And stared in surprise. 

 

“Gray?!” Lucy exclaimed. “What are you doing here? You finished your job!”  

 

A furious red blush was spreading across his cheeks as Gray spluttered for a moment. “It's because I finished my job!” he yelled back, puffing up unnecessarily. “So now it's not like Fairy Tail’s reputation is on the line, so—! So... I came to stop it.” 

 

The wedding, he meant. Of course, Lucy had gone and ruined his dramatic entrance. 

 

“...Why were you waiting outside then?” she wondered blankly. 

 

“W-well, you're supposed to burst in when they say, ‘Speak now or forever hold your peace,’ right....?” Gray muttered, refusing to look at her now. 

 

“Stop her! Stop them!” the duke was yelling again behind them. “You, girl! Your father will hear of this! Trying to sell me this kind of defective merchandise, I'll have him blacklisted!” 

 

“Defective? Merchandise?!” Lucy parroted furiously, turning to glare at him, fists raised threateningly. 

 

She might have lost all sense of reason and rushed back to confront him, but Gray pulled her back and unceremoniously threw her over his shoulder. 

 

“Hey!” 

 

“Time to go,” he said. 

 

“Put me down! If I'm running away from my wedding, I'll do it own my own two feet!” 

 

“Run? In those heels!?” 

 

“And least carry me like a bride, not a sack of potatoes!” 

 

“It's hard to run like that! Just quit wiggling!” 

 

Pounding his back again for good measure, Lucy sulked. 

 

No, her life definitely wasn't a fairytale. Getting spirited away from her wedding by a handsome, dangerous not quite stranger — and it wasn't romantic at all. Honestly, Gray really was just a rough, barbaric adventurer. 

 

But all the same... 

 

“...Thanks,” she murmured. “For coming back.” 

 

It wasn't bad at all. 

 

~.~.~


	11. GrayTear week 2017, the Future

GrayTear week 2017, Day 2: the Future

**Summary:** “I’ll go with you,” Gray said, “until we find your future.”

**Notes:** I’m sorry, this isn’t even really Graytear, seriously. Really sorry. 

At one point, I considered an idea about Ultear and Gray just... running off to Alvarez and having wacky vacation-like adventures  like a newly married couple . Obviously, I’m too lazy to write that, but here’s the angsty would-be prologue. 

~.~.~

_ ‘Gramps, everyone,  _

_ ‘Sorry for just taking off like this. I know the guild’s just had a rough time, with Grimoire Heart and everything, but Fairy Tail will make it, stronger than ever.  _

_ ‘I’m so grateful for everything you’ve all done for me. When I came to Fiore, I had nothing, but the guild helped me pull through and supported me until I was strong enough to stand on my own two feet.  _

_ ‘But now, it’s my turn to help someone else who doesn’t have anything. This is something I have to do, for her, for Ur, and for myself. I don’t know if I’ll be back, but I’ll always remember you guys. I’ll always be thinking of you.  _

_ ‘Thank you, _

_ Gray’ _

~.~.~

The woman in front of him was a far cry from the confident wizard who had dominated their battle. Drenched, wounded, and holding herself upright, Ultear didn’t even look at Gray as he dragged them both out of the sea and onto Tenrou’s rocky shore. 

He wasn’t sure why she had lost her will to fight so suddenly. Surely everything he had said to her couldn’t have had that much of an impact, not when she had been so determined — so obsessed — with completing her plan, and also with exacting her vengeance on him. 

But it was fortunate. Her magic was far more powerful than Gray’s, and even with the wounds from his Gungnir, the battle wouldn’t have been in his favor if it had continued. 

“...Mother...” Ultear murmured, barely audible. “All this time, Mother...” 

“Ur loved you,” Gray said. He looked away, feeling a surge of guilt, no matter how logically misplaced. “She never replaced you. Lyon and I... it was never like that.” 

Ultear’s breath hitched, and she spun around, turning away from him quickly. But even just seeing her back, her sorrow was tangible. Her shoulders shook, and her arms came to wrap around herself, gripping tightly — as if to hold in her tears and emotions. 

“Mother... Everything I did, all of it... It was all for nothing,” Ultear gritted out bitterly. “What am I supposed to do now...? After everything...” 

She had attacked his guild and tried to trick him into killing himself against Hades. She had wanted to wipe away everything that had happened — the sorrow, yes, but also the happiness, the bonds he’d managed to form with all his guildmates. There was no telling what else she’d done, as part of Grimoire Heart. 

But looking at her now, Gray could only say one thing—

“Step into the future.” He met Ultear’s shocked stare squarely. “That’s what Ur said to me, when she used Iced Shell. It was my fault that she was gone and that Lyon would have to feel the same darkness I had... But her wish made me keep going forward. And that’s what you have to do too. Even if you feel like giving up, even if you feel like you don’t have the right to — keep moving toward the future.” 

For a moment, Ultear couldn’t find words to respond, then she shook her head sharply and looked away again. “Just like that?” she let out a short, mocking chuckle. “You have no idea... no idea what I’ve done! How many lives I ruined! Even that friend of yours, Erza... Even Meldy—!” 

There was nothing Gray could say to that, and he only watched her, his expression softening with sympathy. 

“If I was wrong all this time... I could never make up for it,” Ultear whispered. “All I could do was make sure it never happened at all, but even that...” 

Someone else, someone like Lucy, might have told her it wasn’t her fault to begin with. She had been lied to, tortured and used, when she was just a child. Even if it was her responsibility, it wasn’t her fault, and she didn’t need to carry that guilt. 

Another person, Natsu perhaps, would have told her not to focus on what she couldn’t do but to start with what she could — like helping Fairy Tail stop Hades. No matter how impossible a task seemed, nothing could begin until you took the first step. 

But Gray was neither of those people. He had never stopped blaming himself for Ur, not really, and he had never tried to find Lyon and somehow, someway make it up to him. 

He wasn’t that kind of good, strong person. He’d made his peace with that long ago. 

“Yeah, that’s true,” he said instead. “You can’t make up for any of it. Things can’t ever be undone, not really, no matter how big or small they are. That’s what makes your choices matter. All you can do is live with them and with the consequences.” 

She didn’t want to, Gray could see that. He knew that feeling well, and he’d seen that look enough, in the mirror. Ultear didn’t want to live with the knowledge of everything she had done. 

It made a chill go down his spine. Back then, the only reason Gray kept on going under the crushing weight of that feeling was the shame of throwing away the life that Ur had given hers to protect. That shame and guilt had pushed him onward until he joined Fairy Tail and the guild’s warmth had slowly given him the strength to hold his head up high and live by his own will. 

But Ultear... 

As a child, Gray had run away from Lyon and let him sink into darkness. He wouldn’t have been strong enough to pull him out, and he’d known that. But he wasn’t a child any longer. And... maybe it was time to pay forward all the strength he’d received, from Ur, from the guild, and from his friends. 

“I’ll go with you.” 

He said it before the decision had even formed in his mind. But it felt right, and he nodded to himself. 

“Go? Go where?” Ultear demanded, her expression caught between confusion and anger. 

“Wherever you decide to go. I’ll go with you,” Gray repeated. 

“Why? To keep an eye on me? Make sure I don’t ruin anyone else’s life?” Ultear snapped, glaring openly now. “Or do you think you owe it to Mother? Well, don’t! I don’t want your pity.” 

It wasn’t pity, at least not for the most part, but Gray didn’t try to explain. She didn’t want to hear anything from him anyway. 

“It’s not like there’s anywhere for me to go!” she raged. “I betrayed the Magic Council! I’m the leader of Grimoire Heart’s Kin of Purgatory! I’m an internationally wanted criminal! There’s nowhere... no one... I should just...” She drew a ragged breath, her voice quiet and bitter when she continued, “Step into the future? What a joke. I don’t have a future...” 

Hearing that was more painful than Gray had expected — painfully familiar. They really were alike, in the lowest point of their lives. 

“The world is a very big place. Ur taught me that too,” he said quietly, the corner of his lips quirking up for a moment in a faint smile. “There’s places where no one’s even heard of the Magic Council, or Grimoire Heart, or you, other countries far away from Ishgar.” 

“Just run away?” Ultear muttered. 

“Do you want to stay?” Gray shot back. She didn’t want anything, of course. That was the problem. “Then let’s go, leave Ishgar if that’s what it takes — until we find a future for you.” 

He held out his hand. 

For a long, long moment that seemed to go on endlessly, Ultear only observed him with a blank, unreadable look. 

Then, she smiled — smirked mirthlessly. “You’re a fool, offering something like that to a heartless, selfish woman like me,” she said. Despite her words, she hesitated still, regret passing over her face before she finally reached out and took his hand. 

~.~.~

_ ‘Meldy,  _

_ ‘ _ ~~_ I’m sorry _ ~~

_ ‘ _ ~~_I can’t fix it—_ _I can’t make it right—_ _You must hate me, and I’m so sorry I don’t even have the courage to face you, but—_~~

_ ‘Grimoire Heart’s ambitious have failed, and so has my plan. It’s over. By the time you read this, I will be gone. Do not think of me any further. You must live and look for your own happiness. _

_ ‘ _ ~~_ Someday, I will— _ ~~

_ ‘ _ ~~_ I love you _ ~~

_ ‘Ultear’ _

~.~.~


	12. GrayTear week 2017, Ice

GrayTear week 2017, Day 7: Ice

**Summary:** “Want a taste?” 

**Notes:** uh. Anyway, going to be traveling over the weekend, so posting this early. 

~.~.~

“Agh... It’s too hot,” Gray groaned, throwing his head back. The motion sent a slight breeze blowing pleasantly over his sweaty forehead and the back of his neck, but even so, some strands of hair clung unpleasantly to his skin, making him grimace. Maybe he should just shave it off, or at least get an undercut...

Next to him, Ultear shot him a side glance and smirked faintly. “Can’t handle a little heat? Are you really an ice wizard?” 

Gray glared back — halfheartedly, too exhausted to work up much ire, even in pretense. She had no business talking anyway, having stripped down to just a thin tank top and the shortest shorts possible (and not through a subconscious habit), her long hair piled on top of her head in a messy bun. Compared to her usually immaculate style, Ultear was clearly just as affected by the summer heatwave as ordinary mortals. 

“I was trained to handle cold,” he shot back. “Heat’s an entirely different question. And if you’re doing so great, then you don’t need that popsicle, do you? So why don’t I take it off your hands?” 

In the middle of another lick along her pale blue ice pop, Ultear raised both eyebrows at him. “I don’t mind sharing,” she said with a challenging smirk. “Want a taste?” 

She held it out — tip first. Gray’s eyebrow twitched, an inkling that he might have gotten into something he couldn’t win settling in his gut, but the competitive spirit all Fairy Tail wizards shared completely drowned it out, along with all common sense. 

Smirking back, he leaned in and pressed his lips to the tip — still cold enough that she had to be chilling it with her magic. He swirled his tongue over it, tasting the faint sweetness of the frozen juice, and dragged his mouth down over the length. 

It was impulsive, a spur of the moment act that couldn’t even be called a decision. It was also very, very stupid. He darted darted his gaze up toward Ultear, only to flush as he met her half-lidded eyes. She was still smirking, but the upturn of her lips was more... considering. Full of implication. 

Gray could feel his ears going red. Ultear could see it too, and her grin widened when he pulled away quickly. 

“Good?” she asked teasingly. 

And slowly, purposefully took a long lick herself. 

Her eyes twinkled with amusement as Gray glared. He should have known better than to mess with her, but it was cute when he tried. 

~.~.~


End file.
